Ask John: What’s John’s Opinion on the Spring Season Shows (Part 3)?

Question:
Five more April premieres have aired, so I’ll share my take on them for readers interested in my reactions.

Answer:
Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai doesn’t do anything groundbreaking, but it demonstrates that a story doesn’t need to be especially original to be interesting and compelling. Astute viewers may be able to see parallels and similarities to earlier anime like Hanada Shonen-Shi, Higashi no Eden, Honey & Clover, and even the 20th Century Boys manga but this first episode takes a sentimental approach and subtely characterizes its characters and situation to bring everything to life. The show skillfully conveys a tremendous amount of information to viewers through suggestion, action, and situation, creating a very interesting, albeit a bit emotionally manipulative, story. I’m fascinated by the way this Noitimina series has significant parallels to the just concluded Fractale Noitimina series, yet the first episode of “AnoHana” alone has more impactful and affecting characterization than all eleven episodes of Fractale combined.

The premiere episode of [C] is absolutely fascinating, and it feels as though it further validates my impression that contemporary anime is innovating and becoming slightly more sophisticated. The debut episode suggests that it’s incorporating a new, adult twist on the contemporary hobby anime staple while also bringing in philosophical interpretation of contemporary human economics. This both looks and feels like a program that validates the common perception that anime is frequently a mainstream agent of artistic creativity and uniquely progressive expression. In other words, [C] may be the latest example of the type of anime that viewers seek and hope for when they expect anime to be original, creative, and stylish.

Shaft doesn’t have an exclusive lock on “denpa” anime, but the studio is the foremost purveyor of it, with its latest offering being Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko. Although Akiyuki Shinbo is credited with chief direction, the dialogue-heavy series’ first episode dispenses with Shinbo’s trademark visual stylism in favor of abundant and frequently very nice animation quality to compensate for the episode’s lack of narrative substance. Conceptually, this isn’t far off from Arakawa Under the Bridge, but this feels more accessible because it adheres closer to conventional anime plot structures, has a more conventional narrative development, and is simply a whole lot cuter than Arakawa Under the Bridge. This seems cute and intriguing so far, so only further episodes will reveal if this will develop more seriously, akin to Iriya no Sora, whether it won’t address its primary narrative conceit, like Denpa Teki na Kanojo, or if it will simply not significantly develop at all, like Arakawa Under the Bridge.

Despite otaku frequently claiming to demand and prefer unique and original anime, it’s still shows like Hidan no Aria that feel most like guaranteed hits. Student warriors feels most obviously drawn from earlier shows like Koukaku no Regios and Infinite Stratos while the normalization of combat feels reminiscent of Toshokan Senso. Combining students, combat, and humor also seems particularly reminiscent of Full Metal Panic. The moé tsundere tone recalls Shakugan no Shana and Toradora. The idea of a male protagonist who becomes more powerful when aroused is reminiscent of Amanaedeyo. Yet with so many similarities and inspirations, Hidan no Aira still manages to feel like it has a distinctive personality. I won’t go so far as to call it good, but a show like this seems virtually assured of success and viewership regardless of its objective artistic qualities.

Flash anime studio DLE’s latest anthology program, Yuruani?, doesn’t vary much from DLE’s standard formula. I was surprised to see that segments including Poo-neko and Hato no Oyome-san are literally nothing more than opening animation sequences. I was also a bit surprised to hear the Shacho Shima Kousaku segment literally use the “Chariots of Fire” theme music. I suppose that’s only prohibited from appearing in anime distributed internationally?