Otaku Digest: Nurses/Fantasy/Pop Stars
Welcome one and all to another Otaku Digest, this week we are getting back to what we do best and that’s nitpicking through all the first episodes of the current anime season. We have now began the spring season and there is a whole host of new anime to investigate. Again here on Otaku Digest we take the very first episodes of anime and give them a good once over to see whether it is worth sticking with for the rest of the season, first impressions are everything! So let’s kick off the spring anime season with some style, up this week is Triage X, Arslan Senki and Show By Rock!!
Triage X
Kicking off our new season is the action anime Triage X that began airing on the 9th of April. Set in the Mochizuki General Hospital that employs some of the best trained nurse’s around who spend their time fighting against disease to save patients. However these are not only nurses as outside of hospital hours they spend their time fighting against a very different kind of disease and sickness. They work under the chairman of the hospital who has brought these staff and some teenagers together to form the mercenaries who target the malignancies of society and ensuring these people do not spread their poison to the rest of society.
I cannot escape it, the first anime I choose to watch and right there when it begins, fan service. Breasts everywhere in this anime, it is even basically canon that well-endowed ladies are a a given in this anime but oh wow it is everywhere in it, like the very first shot. Not an anime to be showing to young children that’s for certain and I found the over use of the fan service particularly distracting from what could be a good narrative. Saying that the story and plot is not actually that bad, the idea behind it is quite interesting, the idea that nurses and teenagers are tracking and eliminating the poisonous individuals of society is interesting since usually this kind of story would be more of a medical person gone mad rather than an actual group. I will admit where the characters are actual quite interesting with each having their own attributes as mercenaries and even the villains are interesting because they are the ultimate malignancies of society but even these are not enough to keep me watching this anime that is far more focused on showing me well-endowed women rather than establishing characters.
Will I Continue To Watch: No, I could not see past the hilarious amount of fan service, which is sad because this could have been a good series.
Arslan Senki
Next up to the chopping block is Arslan Senki or The Heroic Legend of Arslan, an action, adventure and fantasy anime that first aired on the 5th of April. The anime is set in the thriving kingdom of Pars in which lies the city of Ecbatana, the royal capital in which the fearsome and undefeated in war King Andragoras resides. Enter Arslan, the young crowned prince who despite his best efforts does not seem to possess the abilities to be a great king like his father. At the tender age of fourteen Arslan faces his first war and loses which brings about the demise of his once thriving kingdom. Arslan cannot forget that he is a destined ruler and must embark now on a journey of self-discovery and to reclaim his fallen kingdom from the clutches of the enemy.
I cannot help but think this anime is the animated attempt at being Game of Thrones since there are so many aspects that are similar within the narrative; a distant and cold mother, a uncaring father king, a prosperous and then fallen kingdom and a young prince. However it is nice to see that an anime have taken a pretty newish route in terms of narrative, the prince is young and naïve and other than trying to prove he will be a good king he has no more to prove, he isn’t arrogant or blood thirsty but more kind and warm distinguishing him from most prince characters in the fantasy genre. I actually enjoyed this episode more for the comedic aspects and the prince, who for some people could come off as bland and boring but he is so kind and empathetic that you can physically see him bond with the captured boy from another kingdom just from a short conversation. Arslan is pampered and a prince but is empathetic to slaves and the poverty of his kingdom. I usually do not care for this type of anime just because they are usually predictable and cliché but this anime I enjoyed just because I do not think I can guess what will happen. Also more giraffe scenes please, that was gold.
Will I Continue To Watch: Yes, the story and characters actually make this anime worth watching, even without a lot of establishment the characters are interesting enough to keep watching.
Show By Rock!!
Last up this week is the music, comedy and fantasy anime Show By Rock!! and it originally aired on the 5th of April. Originally based on the iOS game of the same name developed by Geechs and Sanrio the anime is set in the music metropolis of MIDICITY, enter a gothic Lolita wearing kitty girl named Cyan after being sucked into a strange world of music and animals is scouted by the president of a music agency, Maple Arisugawa. Cyan meets her fellow band members, Chuchu the rabbit girl who is an honour student and the geeky dog girl called Retoree and lastly a sheep girl called Moa. They form together to make the band Plasmagica with only one aim, to be the top band in the world. It won’t be an easy road for them as they face off against other strange bands while still holding their spirits high. Will or won’t they make it to the top? Who knows!
Cute, so much cute and I loved every moment of it. The weird world this it set in is outstanding, a young girl is sucked in through her phone from her own world. The 3D animated aspects were amazing in this anime they really used the style to their advantage and it worked masterfully. It is such a weird anime, the story in the beginning really makes no sense at all and to be honest I really did not care because I was enjoying it too much to be bothered with the fact I had no idea what was going on. This is a testament to a good story, your viewer may be confused but they will keep watching just to figure out what on earth is happening. Each character is so unique to the world that there is so many aspects to appreciate about them. I am not usually a fan of “musical” or cute anime unless it is Magical Girl but with the action added in here it really makes a good viewing experience and actually the music involved is catchy and not that bad. I can also seeing this being the new cosplay fad to arrive in 2015, we will just have to wait and see!
Will I Continue To Watch: Yes, the anime is light-hearted but packed full of attitude and action that I really enjoyed.
Did you start your Spring season viewing? Watched anything interesting? let me know in the comments!
