Weekly Watching Roundup – start 2016 dead week

It’s called dead week because very little aired and even less was watched.

Episodes watched this week:
Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Zoku ep. 6
Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Zoku ep. 7
Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Zoku ep. 8
Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Zoku ep. 9
Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Zoku ep. 10
Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Zoku ep. 11
Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Zoku ep. 12
Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Zoku ep. 13 END

What a place to end it… Still, a good series overall, and I think the second one was done better than the first had been. I look forwards to the volumes coming out in English.

Winter 2016 anime watching intentions

This season I’m going to be doing things differently to in other recent seasons, in that I’ll be focusing on my backlog of anime to watch rather than focusing on anime from the upcoming season.

Nonetheless, I’ll still want to establish which of the upcoming season’s anime are worth the watch.

Continuing from the current season: (2)
Heavy Object (if I catch up to it and keep watching)
Itoshi no Muco

Won’t watch: (15)
Akagami no Shirayuki-hime 2nd Season (sequel to anime I haven’t watched)
Dimension W (so obviously unbearable that I’m not even going to try it)
Durarara!!x2 Ketsu (sequel to anime I haven’t watched)
Ganbare! Lulu Lolo 3rd Season (sequel to anime I haven’t watched)
Ketsuekigata-kun! 4 (sequel to anime I haven’t watched)
Kono Danshi, Mahou ga Oshigoto Desu. (a bit confused about its relation to the OVAs, and doesn’t seem particularly appealing anyway)
Mahoutsukai Precure! (if I’m going to watch a precure it doesn’t look like it will be this one)
Mim Mam Mint (no interest whatsoever)
Phantasy Star Online 2 The Animation (not familiar with this franchise and doesn’t look appealing)
Prince of Stride: Alternative (sport anime in a non-existant sport)
Rilu Rilu Fairilu: Yousei no Door (could be some haitai-style fun but I’m not hopeful)
Schwarzesmarken (part of a franchise that I am not familiar with)
Sushi Police (yuck. Just plain yuck.)
Tabi Machi Late Show (not much info but what there is doesn’t seem appealing. Other than the fact that that’s a nice picture of a tree…)
Yami Shibai 3rd Season (sequel to anime I haven’t watched)

Will watch: (5)
Ansatsu Kyoushitsu (TV) 2nd Season (previous series was definitely weakening as it went on, but still worth continuing for now)
Gate: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri – Enryuu-hen (sequel)
Kochin Pa! (already started watching this one. It’s 15 seconds long…)
Mahou Shoujo Nante Mou Ii Desukara. (reading the manga and interested to see how they do the anime)
Teekyuu 7 (sequel)

Might try: (24, in rough order from most interested to least)
Hai to Gensou no Grimgar
Haruchika: Haruta to Chika wa Seishun Suru
Boku dake ga Inai Machi
Musaigen no Phantom World
Ooyasan wa Shishunki!
Oshiete! Galko-chan
Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!
Dagashi Kashi
Nijiiro Days
Divine Gate
Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut
Shoujo-tachi wa Kouya wo Mezasu
Luck & Logic
Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm
Reikenzan: Hoshikuzu-tachi no Utage
Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
Norn9: Norn+Nonet
Ojisan to Marshmallow
Nurse Witch Komugi-chan R
Koukaku no Pandora
Bubuki Buranki
Ajin
Sekkou Boys
Active Raid: Kidou Kyoushuushitsu Dai Hakkei

As the way I’ll be doing things this season is different to previous ones I will probably adopt a rather different approach to the weekly roundup posts as well, with less emphasis on the season and more on the series.

English and Japanese Light Novel Releases for Week Commencing 4th January 2016 (UPDATED 10th January)

Lots of blog posts coming this week if all goes to plan. Not many light novels released though. It feels odd putting “2016”…

English releases:

n/a

Japanese releases:

Poplar Bunko Pureful: (release date 4th January)
Yorozu Uranaidokoro Onmyouya Koi no Sunset Beach (よろず占い処 陰陽屋恋のサンセットビーチ)
天空のミラクル
ことづて屋 停電の夜に

Iris Neo: (release date 4th January)
Danshoku Reijou to Ouji no Funtouki (男爵令嬢と王子の奮闘記)

Regina Books: (release date 5th January)
軽い気持ちで替え玉になったらとんでもない夫がついてきた。〈2〉
剣の求婚

VG Bunko: (release date 6th January)
Towelket wo Mou Ichido (タオルケットをもう一度)

Ponycan BOOKS light novel series: (release date 7th January)
My Bible wa “Isekai Shoukan Monogatari” (マイバイブルは『異世界召喚物語』)

Variant Novels: (release date 8th January)
Hakushakuka Jochuu-den 2 (伯爵家女中伝 2)

Everystar WOMAN: (release date 9th January)
TWINSOULS

Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! Bunko: (release date 9th January)
School Live Online 7: Last Man Standing (Mae) (スクールライブ・オンライン 7 ラストマン・スタンディング(前))

Dengeki Bunko: (release date 9th January)
Nareru! SE 14 Yonimo Kimyou na? Business Alliance (なれる!SE (14) 世にも奇妙な?ビジネスアライアンス)
Yagate Maken no Alicebell 6 Saraba Youtou (やがて魔剱のアリスベル (6) さらば妖刀)
Elf Yome to Hajimeru Isekai Ryoushu Seikatsu -Ore no Sumu Shima ni Isekai ga Kichattanda ga- (エルフ嫁と始める異世界領主生活 ―俺の住む島に異世界が来ちゃったんだが―)
俺氏、異世界学園で『女子トイレの神』になる。
Kagai Katsudou Survival Method 3 (課外活動サバイバルメソッド (3))
Kangoku Gakkou nite Monban wo 3 (監獄学校にて門番を (3))
Crocro-clock Closed (クロクロクロック 結)
Samurai Over Drive -Ouka no Satsujin- (サムライ・オーヴァドライブ ―桜花の殺陣―)
Seven Saga ~Nanatsu no Taizai ~Akai Ryuu wa Fundo ni Moete~ (セブンサーガ ~七つの大罪 赤き竜は憤怒に燃えて~)
DOWL Masters 3 (ドウルマスターズ (3))
Madousho Sakka ni Narou! 2 >Naraba Maou no Sasoi ni Nou Chaimasu ka? (Hai/Iie) (魔導書作家になろう! (2) >ならば魔王の誘いに乗っちゃいますか?(はい/いいえ))
Mitou Shoukan://Blood Sign 4 (未踏召喚://ブラッドサイン (4))
Yozakura Vanpanella 2 (夜桜ヴァンパネルラ (2))
Leo Attiel Den 3 Kubinashikou no Shouzou (レオ・アッティール伝 (3) 首なし公の肖像)

Kadokawa Books: (release date 9th January)
29-sai Dokushin wa Isekai de Jiyuu ni Ikita……katta. (4) (29歳独身は異世界で自由に生きた……かった。 (4))
Manuke na FPS Player ga Isekai e Ochita Baai (マヌケなFPSプレイヤーが異世界へ落ちた場合)
Tsuchimahou ni Eikou wo! 4 (土魔法に栄光を! (4))

Berry’s Bunko: (release date 9th January)
焦れ恋オフィス
腹黒王子の取扱説明書
俺様紳士の恋愛レッスン
この恋、国家機密なんですか!?

TO Books: (release date 10th January)
食いしん坊エルフ

Unknown label or not a light novel:
ガシュアード王国にこにこ商店街
コンカツ!
異世界ガーデニング アルの造園物語
俺様紳士の恋愛レッスン

Weekly watching roundup – Autumn 2015 Week 13

Literally every anime watched this week was on the same day. The rest of the time has been spent on various other things. So there were very few episodes watched this week, but nevertheless there were quite a few series that I finished as everything I watched any of I also completed.

Episodes watched in the past week:
Fushigi na Somera-chan ep. 12 END
Hacka Doll The Animation ep. 13 END
Onsen Yousei Hakone-chan ep. 13 END
One Punch Man ep. 12 END
Ore ga Ojousama Gakkou ni “Shomin Sample” Toshite Gets♥Sareta Ken ep. 11
Ore ga Ojousama Gakkou ni “Shomin Sample” Toshite Gets♥Sareta Ken ep. 12 END
Owari no Seraph: Nagoya Kessen-hen ep. 11
Owari no Seraph: Nagoya Kessen-hen ep. 12 END

Autumn 2015 Status:

Series rankings at present:
1. Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry
2. Lance N’ Masques
3. Itoshi no Muco
4. Gakusen Toshi Asterisk
5. Yuru Yuri San☆Hai!
6. Noragami Aragoto
7. Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka??
8. Taimadou Gakuen 35 Shiken Shoutai (up 1)
9. Ore ga Ojousama Gakkou ni “Shomin Sample” Toshite Gets♥Sareta Ken (up 1)
10. Owari no Seraph: Nagoya Kessen-hen (down 2)
11. Teekyuu 6
12. Sakurako-san no Ashimoto ni wa Shitai ga Umatteiru
13. Fushigi no Somera-chan (up 1)
14. Onsen Yousei Hakone-chan (down 1)
15. Heavy Object
16. Hacka Doll The Animation
17. Komori-san wa Kotowarenai
18. One Punch Man
19. Dance with Devils
20. Tantei Team KZ Jiken Note

Fushigi na Somera-chan was, in a word, menoussoue-like. As in, utterly bizarre, random and inexplicable. But funny for it.

Hacka Doll and Onsen Yousei Hakone-chan were both a few minutes of fun a week. That’s as much as can be said for either, but that’s also quite enough for me.

One Punch Man was… meh. Forgettable characters, battles which were eah less engaging than the last (the final one is probably the most boring fight I have ever seen in any anime) and a setting and concept with really limited potential. I had sort of hoped that the series would excel and take off but instead it just drifted away constantly in the wrong direction. The humour, of course, was the saving grace, but the gaps between the jokes got wider and wider as the series went on.

Shomin Sample was a good fun series but not much more than that. The only thing that makes me want more of it is wondering how Eri gets into the actual storyline, as she inevitably will do at some point (if she wasn’t going to then they wouldn’t keep giving her cameo appearances…)

Owari no Seraph – I really don’t like the direction that the final episode took. Which is a shame because it had been quite enjoyable up to that point. Indeed this was suffiient to kill any interest in buying the manga or indeed anything else related to the series.