Otaku Digest: Spirited Magical Girl Science

Another week has gone by and the pickings for the spring anime season grow fewer each week; nonetheless, welcome anime fans far and wide to another instalment of Otaku Digest! This is where we take anime from the current airing season and dissect through them to see what’s worth sticking with past the first episode.
I have to say, this has been a very successful season for anime. Up to the chopping block this week is Gunslinger Stratos: The Animation, Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha ViVid and Punch Line.

Gunslinger Stratos: The Animation

First up this week is an interesting anime that, unlike other anime, was not adapted from a manga but a game series of the same name by Square Enix. Gunslinger Stratos: The Animation is an action sci-fi anime that began airing on the 4^th of April. In this anime, we enter the year 2115 AD, where the island once known as Japan is now known as the 17^th Far East Imperial City Management District. In exchange for some of the comfort they once knew, residents were promised a life of living in peace, that they could live each day like the last, but no one knew the real danger they were about to come against. A rare and deadly disease was sweeping over the world, ‘Degradation’ which disintegrates the human body to sand. Enter normal student Tohru Kazasumi as he becomes intertwined in a multi universal battle where he must fight his parallel self from the world Frontier Stratos. Will these worlds ever find the peace they both need?
An anime adapted from a game by my favourite game creators? I beg the heavens not to let this be a bad anime as it may destroy my soul. Can you go wrong with an anime adapted from a game? Possibly, but this anime in particular was done just right; it was eerie enough to make you question what is exactly going on and the opening theme song is very catchy, making the start very compelling to watch. From the description, we can see there is a lot going on in this anime so it will be interesting to see how it’s handled. The animation style was interesting to watch since, for me anyway, the characters looked like they have been literally ripped from the animation of the game. There are also interesting scenes which look like cut scenes from a game; most people might find that distracting, but I actually found it was interesting and added to the anime. As for the story side of things, the anime did not give much away in the first episode, but what they do give us although a glimpse is fantastic.

Will I Continue To Watch: Yes, I have only had a glimpse on what’s to come and I need to see more.

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha ViVid

Next up this week we have Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha ViVid or Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha ViVid, a magic anime that started airing on the 3^rd of April. Taking place four years following the JS incident of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS this anime follows Vivio Takamichi, a fourth year elementary girl who studies at the St. Hilde Academy of Magic. She has managed to learn how to summon her adult form thus receiving her own Device which is named Sacred Heart from Nanoha. Vivio made the promise to Nanoha that she will never use them for mischief; that is, until a mysterious magical wielding fighter arrives and instantly targets Vivio. Can she keep her promise?
I have to slap myself on the wrist here just because I state that continuations and second seasons are not a part of Otaku Digest, but I honestly didn’t realise that when I watched this anime. No surprises here, really, with a very upbeat opening theme kicking off the anime; we can be sure this is starting as the regular magical girl anime. This anime is just a bundle of adorable cuteness with bright and happy characters. I found that the show could have cut probably ten minutes off it as it did tend to drag on in parts. Saying that, I do think there is potential in this anime; the usual companion character that has been reimagined as a ‘device’ was an interesting twist and you can tell there could be some interesting story creeping in there. However, this episode took far too long to just get to the point. I do feel this is the kind of anime that is ‘feel good’, keeping with the traditional magical girl style of anime. It’s definitely the type of anime to watch if you are ever feeling a little down on yourself. Also, that bunny device has to be one of the cutest things I have ever seen, ever.

Will I Continue To Watch: Yes, I am always on the watch for feel good anime to watch and I think this is one!

Punch Line

Last up this week is the slice of life, comedy and ecchi anime Punch Line which originally began airing on the 10^th of April. Can you imagine waking up one day and you’re suddenly in someone else’s body? That’s what happened to high school student Yuuta Iridatsu who experienced astral projection or, in layman’s terms, his spirit separated from his body and he wakes up in a mansion called Koraiken with a cat spirit called Chiranosuke, who tells him he must find the sacred tomb of Koraiken in order for him to return to his physical body. While searching through the mansion, he bumps into the underpants of its female inhabitants and in doing this he could create some trouble for planet Earth.
The world hates me, truly hates me. Why? Because here is another week and there is another slice of life anime – why me? Not only is it slice of life, but there are untold amounts of fan service in it. I am sensing a weird anime on the horizon because that opening made no sense what so ever; it just jumps straight in there with a bus hijacking which is fairly random. Saying that, it kept my attention even if it was just to see what on earth was happening. I am not going to lie; I spent a good amount of time watching this was spent laughing at the cat spirit and trying to ignore the vast amounts of panty shots. This anime is so random in every aspect from its animation to its story, which actually manages to incorporate the fan service into said story; no spoilers as to what it is, but it actually works.

Will I Continue To Watch: Weirdly yes, this anime made me laugh even if it did not mean to and I think there may actually be good things in it.

Another week of yeses straight across the board! I think I am losing my negative view! What have you been watching this week? Let me know in the comments!

Céire Ní Dalaigh