Series Review: Kore wa Zombie desu ka? Of The Dead (7/10)

Instant summary: Boy dies and becomes a zombie, and goes on to meet other denizens of the underworld like chainsaw-wielding magical girls and ninja vampires.

Well, they certainly ramped up the fan-service this time round. For premises such as this, it's a huge improvement. Huge improvement.

You know, I actually enjoyed this way more than the first season. Previously, there was a failed attempt at a serious storyline - something that KoreZombie are definitely not good at. The conclusion was really bad because of how absurd the logic was. True, "absurd" can be said about a lot of things in KoreZombie, but they were trying to be serious - something completely opposite of what the series is good at.

Thankfully, this time they threw all that away and left us with minimal storyline. While things does get a little dramatic in the end, they didn't leave out the element of nonsensical fun. It was a cliffhanger; but not that it really matters if it's fun right up till the end, which is how is should be in the first season as well.

Since this is a sequel, you should already know what the show is about. The cast is the highlights of the show; it's chock full of Ninja Pirate Zombie Robots, and is perhaps the only anime that has taken this trope so far. The story of the show is as ridiculous as the premises itself, and more than often we had our main characters fight giant monsters in high school uniforms and do stuff like drawing manga to prevent a war. That's where the fun is at, because the show sells on the lack of seriousness. Occasionally there are moments are somewhat emotional or sentimental, but luckily they wasn't as melodramatic as anything they've tried in the last season.

The animation quality, unfortunately, shows no improvement, and it might haven even taken a dip, based on some jarring inconsistencies right up in the first episode. Imagine the rage I had when Todoroki's awesome breasts were practically deleted off in the first episode. Studio Deen was never known for quality work anyway, but I thought that a title that warrants a sequel should at least receive a decent budget.

In short, it has the same old fun the previous season had, minus the blemishes that ruins it in the end. Yes, I enjoyed this.

Plot/Concept: Very Good!
Story Style: Hugely improved!
Audio/Visual: Fair
Value: 7

(Fun fact: The team of "imaginary Eu"s has always been voiced by "expiring" seiyuus, so I'm really surprised to see Horie Yui as one of them. Does this means that she has reached that point in her career as well?)

Series Review: Kore wa Zombie desu ka?

Nice image to represent the whole series. Yes, I know.

The final episode nicely sums up everything that's good - and bad - about this series. Unfortunately, it leans more to the "bad" side.

You know, at the start of the season, Kore wa Zombie desu ka actually created a bit more hype than Madoka. Well, Madoka was just a cute and fluffy magical girl series with an absurb level of quality before the mindfucking after all. Kore wa Zombie desu ka, on another hand, was a surprise hit, because the whacky combination of different themes made a really good impression. And probably no one expected something like this from Studio Deen with its shitty reputation.

The concept is fairly simple. It's your usual harem setting with girls joins the male protagonist's household for no reason, but every girl is a Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot, with completely contrasting personalities. It might seem like a cheap trick, but know that it made the novel a bestseller.

I can't praise the taste Studio Deen had for fanservice and moé, but the "themes" that represent each character fits in very well with their personalities, because they totally contradict. It's not everyday we get to see a cute magical girl wearing a fluffy pink costume to be a tomboy, trash-talks, violent and wield a chainsaw as her main weapon. A pink chainsaw. That's genki girl Haruna, where her (stolen) abilities play a huge part in the story.

The show is fun when it's random and nonsensical, but it fails hard when the show tries to get serious with the story, To keep this as spoiler-free as possible, I'll just say that a lot of serious events that took place in the story happened for the sole reason to give the protagonist the hero spotlight. And the chance to do a manly speech, which is usually uncomfortably corny. Sometimes a monster would appear out of nowhere and for no apparent reason, and sometimes, someone might attack the main characters without a real reason for doing so. The worst part is that these events ended as fast as they began; without really an impact on the rest of the storyline, or a reason for us to look back on why it happened in the first place.

The show is average in terms of production values, but it's already a huge improvement for Studio Deen. The songs are pretty good, but the animation could have use a lot more work (budget problems?).

I can't recommend this at all, unless you are looking for some nonsensical fun with very little concern for the story (which, unfortunately, still remains a large focus in the show). The second season is announced by the way. Obviously I don't feel very excited about this, but I'll like to see if they've made any improvements in the story direction.

Plot/Concept: Very Good!
Story Style: Weak
Audio/Visual: Fair
Value: 5

How every Winter 2010 shows I watch becomes shiiiitttttt

Two season ago, it was Otome Youkai Zakuro and Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru. That was 50% of the shows I was following that season. And these two shows isn't that bad, it's just that they got off a great start but didn't manage to carry on the momentum all the way to the end.

Last season, it was every damn show I watched. They got off a great start and had generally positive reviews over the span of the season, on the blogosphere and amongst the Japanese audience as well. To me, endings makes a lot of difference in the overall experience of the show, but somehow none of these show delivered what I wanted.

Ranked from bad to worst are:

5. Fractale

Two of the main characters are in the pic. What do you mean you can only see one?

Okay, unlike many people out there, I don't think Fractale is a total crap. But it's no doubt a disappointment and definitely doesn't deliver what it has promised, or what it could have achieved with the story settings. Too many questions had been left unanswered until the last episode, too much needless drama at the end, and the twists at the end feels like it's being pulled out of Yamakan's ass at the last moment. The writing wasn't there, too many pointless stuff happens and any build-up towards the finale didn't work with all these distractions. The animation could have been a LOT better to, seeing how much Yamakan gambled with this project. I wanted to see a Last Exile.  I got a Allison & Lillia.




4. Kore wa Zombie desu ka?

Best thing in the ending.

I'll touch my heart and say that despite the pretty awesome first episode, I'm expecting this series to suck anyway, because of the people involved (read: DEEN). When I first got into the show, I liked the way they do things, like giving a dead guy magical girl powers, and making a chainsaw their primary weapon. That was fun in being random. But they went overboard with it, to the point where things doesn't even make sense anymore. Their attempt at serious storytelling is a joke. Anti-demonic music out of nowhere? And how did Eu suddenly decide that it's ok to kill off the bad guy in the end after all? And, well, I love epilogue episodes like ep12, but it turns out to be a pain to sit through. The 15 minute of concert stuff was beyond randomness... it was bullshit. And the ability to drain Eu's magical powers become a giant plot hole if you think about it.




3. Infinite Stratos

Getting in touch with inner Ichika.

Everything was going alright until they're done with the character introductions and started getting an actual plot at ep10. Ichika suddenly becames retarded and reduced himself way below a typical harem lead stereotype. The dialogue was so bad I feel like I'm watching a high-school orientation skit. Ichika's dream sequence and Gundam-styled nekkid talk was so hilariously bad, I feel that they weren't trying anymore. With the amount of CG and suit designs they had, the fight was nowhere was awesome as it could have been. And where did that rogue IS come from? Was Tabane behind everything after all? I could hire my niece to write something better. I expected it to be the next Macross Frontier, but all I got is a good harem.




2. Yumekui Merry

CHECK OUT MY HAX TRUMPET SKILLZ

I ranted in the recent post so I won't be explaining it here. But when I got the feeling that the other series are going down south, I expected this to be the most enjoyable show this season. I was wrong.




1. Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Homerun traveled one and a half month into the future, bringing the last two episodes with her.

Well, it wasn't the show that sucked, it was the viewing experience. What's more, I can only blame mother nature to put a one-month break right before the (supposedly) epic ending of the greatest show for a long long time. I'm not even anticipating the last two episode airing this Thursday anymore, I'm just dreading that I might forget critical parts of the show.

Kore wa Zombie desu ka Ep9 IN ONE MINUTE

I never really wanted to blog about this series because the randomness of it isn't really a subject for a good debate. It's still.. good, but not good enough for me to sing praises about it on the blog, and also not interesting enough for me to dedicate a post for it.

Until this one where... Like how Infinite Stratos screwed its previous episode with too much fanservice, they tried too hard to inject action and screentime for each characters and eventually killed it.

Let's see if you can follow what's going on:

Summary:
Eu disappears to meet up with random antagonist A and tries to kill him but fails. Sera receives orders from someone to kill Eu but Ayumu changes her mind with a MANLY SPEECH (Pic #1). Random antagonist A gets pissed and tries to kill Ayumu with a Ferris wheel (#2) but Ayumu takes no damage cuz he's a fucking ZOMBIE but Eu shit her pants and unintentionally summons this huge jelly thing that sits on Haruna (#3). Dai-sensei appears (#4) and shoots a giant HADOUKEN that sends the huge jelly flying but it crushes Yuki instead (#5). Yuki, on the brink of death, in turn summons this... huge flaming thing that look really fucking stupid (#6) as a Last Stand so Dai-sensei summons the magical chainsaw (whatisname) (#7) for Ayumu to transform instead of using her HADOUKEN. After shooting a couple of energy beams the Flamazoid want to self-destruct (#8) for no apparent reason which prompt Ayumu to use his MANLY SPEECH to save Yuki and after a dramatic exchange and a hug the Flamazoid fizzles out (#9 and #10). Eu returns, injuries magically disappears, everything goes back to normal (#11) but Eu gave a sudden goodbye because she doesn't want to cause anymore unintentional trouble (#12).

Reaction:
...wtf is going on?





Episode 10 Summary
Everyone gets melancholic and gets the resolve to get Eu back.

Episode 11 Summary
The gang finds Eu, but unable to convince her to come back. Random antagonist A appears. Fight ensues.

Episode 12 Summany
Battle. Eu gets convinced to come back. Eu uses IMBA cannon/ undo zombie spell to kill random antagonist A. Happy end.

An overview of Winter 2011 (and rankings)

A summary of what I've came to watch, what I've dropped and what I might catch in the near future.

The Keepers

1. Puella Magi Madoka Magica (5 episodes)
It's the most searched and most discussed topic on the blogosphere for  a while now so I do not think I have to discuss this much further, so I will just say this: Puella Magi Madoka Magica totally changed the way one would look at the Magical Girl genre that includes big names like Nanoha, PreCure, Sailor Moon, Cardcaptor, etc because beyond its cute and fluffy appearance and designs, there is the very real element of death, trauma and tragedy affecting the main characters, that was non-existent in this genre until now. Combined with great writing and story direction, you can tell they weren't kidding then they said this anime would be a breakthrough.

Outlook: Awesome!

2. Fractale (4 episodes)
Despite Yamakan's ramblings, Fractale is a pretty decent piece of work. I do not know why everyone keeps talking about the adventure that did not happen, but I think they are making headway now that all the main cast is gathered... well except Nessa, but I guess her exact location is not an issue.

I must admit Nessa's the core reason I came to really enjoy Fractale, because her unlimited energy and cheerful character with a mysterious tinge makes her extremely likable. Besides Nessa's overwhelming cuteness, the other thing that really draws me in is the setting the story of Fractale is set in. It is not the most original and it might feel too Ghibli for it's own good, but I am waiting to see how the Fractale system allows the series as a whole to stand out.
Outlook: Fantastic!

3. Infinite Stratos (5 episodes)
From the looks of it, I guess I was wrong after all (and everyone else is right). It does seems like it would turn out to be a pretty mindless harem. But that doesn't mean I cannot enjoy the anime, I just need to adjust my expectations a little. The little rooftop lunch thing in episode five was pretty cliche, but I cannot wipe away the stupid smile on my face, which usually only happens with stuff like K-ON. I do not quite appreciate how fast they tried to squeeze in the last two supporting characters into the story, and how they seem to dumb down Rin's presence (RAGE!!), but if it's done to push forward the story I think its better to at least inject the series with more substance than carry on with more of the character relationship development. While I think that the core of the story will have to be the relationship among the key figures of the battle (Macross Frontier) rather than a chimerical battle (Strike Witches? Gundam?), I do not think many will appreciate it unless it has the kind of potential Macross Frontier has.

Outlook: Very Good

4. Kore wa Zombie desu ka? (4 episodes)
The series is pushing the boundaries of being random and extreme, using absurd combos that you do not people dared to use: A magical girl that is actually a guy? And a zombie at the same time? That uses chainsaw as its main weapon? A ninja that is also a vampire? A flying whale wearing a school uniform? It's like a harem version of Cromatie High School, plus fighting scenes.

But what makes Kore wa Zombie desu ka really shines beyond its comedic elements... is the unexpected touching scenes in episode four. Eu's own back story changes the way you look at this series, but not in a bad way; you will see it more than just a comedy action series. I may be expecting a lot, but I am hoping that the series might outshine something like Seto no Hanayome.
Outlook: Very Good

5. Yumekui Merry (5 episodes)
Yumekui Merry never did impress me as much as it did for others, because putting it bluntly, I just do not see much beyond a girl from another dimension fighting fantasy monsters. The animation in the dream world does make it pretty unique, but not enough to make it stand out. Still, it was watchable enough and I hoped the story would take a more drastic turn to spice things up a little... Luckily for me, the latest episode (5) did just that. With the revealment of a difficult truth for Merry and the critical injury of Yumeji, it looks like we will see a lot progress in the storyline and character development of Merry for the coming episodes.

Outlook: It feels like things are getting a lot more interesting.






Dropped

6. GOSICK (2 episodes)
The main selling point (and only one for me) of the series is Victorica and not detective work that is going on in the story. And the show seems to want to keep it that way. I find it hard to follow the series when a seemingly simple plot can only be solved chibi girl who would otherwise only make snide remarks. It would have been more realistic if she is been drugged by APTX 4869, which might have explained why would such a young girl possesses the kind of knowledge needed to solve "complex" crimes. Despite some of the good stuff I heard about the series, I cannot see how GOSICK would sell without the Victorica moe and I should not consider giving it another chance... though pics like that above makes a lot of room for consideration =P

Another chance?: If any other part of the series besides Victorica receives enough praises and can convince me that it's worth it.

7. FREEZING (2 episodes)
I am sure a lot would like an all-girl shounen-style action series with plenty of fanservice, but aside from the crappy animation, the show has plenty of issues. First, the show suffers from the Queen's Blade disease; the clothing around the important parts always gets ripped off for no good reason, and the girls never seems to mind. Second, by following closely to the manga (which should deserve some praise), the series is battle after battle and that leaves little room for any story; which is also a problem for the manga. Thirdly, the story suffers from the typical shouen symdrome where the main character never loses. She just need to be wounded thoroughly and angry enough to hax her power level to 9001. There is a few other issues (i.e. the male lead is a pussy) but I will not go there...

Another chance?: If the characters actually develops more (which I don't think would).

8. Dragon Crisis (4 episodes)
I don't care how good Kugimiya Rie is supposed to be voicing underdeveloped flat-chested tsundere lolis, but Rose is the main reason why the series is as irritating as hell. And it's largely due to her limited vocabulary and devotion to main character Ryuji. Eriko and Hocchan allowed me to last as far as the 4th episode but even they could not soothe the pain in my ears that is Rose.

Another chance?: Only if the heterochromia girl becomes interesting enough, Eriko become irresistible or I become desperate for more Hocchan.

9. Onii-chan wa something something (half episode)
It did not occur to me that watching an incest comedy could be so... disturbing until the first minute of the first episode of this series. The manga was ok; but when it translates into the anime medium, I just cannot ignore the incest sexual innuendo that was implied so strongly throughout the series. I cannot ignore that fact that they are pretty much real siblings even if in fact they are not blood-related; they've been knowing and treating each other like so since young whether or not they actually share the same blood now doesn't really comes into question. Though I must say I am not giving this a fair review because I am not giving it a fair chance; it's just something that I just cannot find interesting.

Another chance?: Only if I'm stuck in a nuclear bunker for a week and this is the only form of entertainment I've got.




What I might catch in the near future

#1. Level E
Due to the sore lacking of females in this series I've never thought of giving this a chance, until psgels hailed it as the best show this season. It wasn't just him (or her), but a couple of bloggers at Random Curiosity also thought so. I wasn't ready for a character like Prince but... who knows? Maybe one day...

#2. Hourou Musuko
I've already expected it from the preview, but the super light colors used in the show stopped me from even seeing the first episode. Look at the picture up there; I've darken half the image, doesn't that make it a lot livelier? Sure, it might lose the feel of the show but cannot help but me bothered by their style of animation.

First Impression: Kore wa Zombie desu ka?

I never really bothered to take time to write a first impression of Kore wa Zombie desu ka... not that it was bad or anything, but I just don't really have a strong opinion of it. While I agree with many other people that initially the series looked really promising, the latter episode doesn't bring me the wow factor I was looking for. Overall, Kore wa Zombie desu ka never struck me as "awesome" or anything... it was more like "pretty cool".

Perhaps I'm already used to seeing nonsensical ideas from series like this, that the flying whale in episode 4 didn't surprise me one bit. When is the last time I saw something like this? Seto no Hanayome? If the comedy in this series was as good as SnH, then I might really change my impression of DEEN.

Outlook: ...Well, it's a keeper.

Kore wa Zombie desu ka? and holy shit I was right about this one!

Frankly, my decision to pick this up was almost 100% intuitive, and now it seems like E-V-E-R-Y blogger has nothing but praises for this show, I'm glad I have good taste =P

Well I sure didn't expect something good from DEEN judging on most of the series they've been making, but it seems like they've finally done something good this time. Let's hope that this is more than just a good start, since I had had enough disappointments last season.



*GLOMP*

The other DEEN production this season, Dragon Crisis, seems to be doing better than expected too. Based on how the other bloggers have rated it I'm likely to give it a try.

A slutty Kugimiya Rie is fine too.