Otaku Digest: Beautiful Junior High Mermaids
Where are the weeks going? Soon it will literally be the New Year and we will be diving into the new winter season but right now here we are at another instalment of Otaku Digest taking in the last few remaining titles of the fall season. Unfortunately we are at that part of the season for us that we are scooping around at the bottom of the anime barrel which is sad for a season that realistically there has not been a great season for heavy hitting titles. For now however we will jump right into the final full episode titles for this season Sakurako-san no Ashimoto ni wa Shitai ga Umatteiru, Shingeki! Kyojin Chuugakkou and Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid.
Sakurako-san no Ashimoto ni wa Shitai ga Umatteiru
First this week we have another anime that I have actually been looking forward to seeing partly because I have heard fellow anime fans express positivity about it and partly because you cannot beat a good mystery series. This anime is Sakurako-san no Ashimoto ni wa Shitai ga Umatteiru or Beautiful Bones –Sakurako’s Investigation- which is as I said a mystery series adapted from a manga of the same name, that first aired on October 8. In this series we meet Shoutarou Tatewaki a typical ordinary high school student who lives in Asahikawa City in Hokkaido. He one day meets the strangly intriguing Sakurako Kujou who is a bone loving young woman who has the ability to analyse specimen. With this chance meeting Shoutarou must now accompany her as she investigates many cases.
I mentioned before this was actually a series that I really have been looking forward to seeing as it had been explained to me as a Sherlock Holmes type anime if Sherlock loved bones instead of drugs, actual quote from a fan. First off the animation in this series is glorious, I love the blandness of the surrounding world until there are random moments of colour that break the dullness of everyday life. The detail in the animation is pristine, obviously considering Sakurako is obsessed with bones when we see her collection of that they are animated with no details left out while the colour and imaginary used when she is surveying a crime scene is intriguing. Something I did enjoy about this anime is the balance it has between normal narrative, comedy relief and a more intense atmosphere, the moment where they find a skull is both intense yet hilarious as she refuses to give up the skull to the police. This series is definitely not for everyone, there is a lot of talking throughout the episode which means lots of explaining content rather than straight up action and means actually paying attention to the narrative. With its lack of action it could be perceived as boring in parts but the episode was actually thoroughly entertaining.
Will I Continue to Watch? Yes, I found it interesting and I can never turn down a mystery
Shingeki! Kyojin Chuugakkou
Next we have a series that I will be honest I have been putting off this season, it was put off because I was having an inner battle whether this counted as a new series or a connected to the original Attack On Titan anime but since there is an original manga I felt it counts. So here we are and does it need much introduction, we have Shingeki! Kyojin Chuugakkou or Attack on Titan: Junior High a parody, comedy, shounen and school anime that originally aired on October 4. You know what could be fun? Let’s takes the original characters from worldwide success Attack on Titan and put them in junior high and that is exactly what they did here. Using the original story to incorporate in anime jokes and gags as they original characters battle the titans.
Let me kick this off by saying one series that never needed a parody or side series of any kind is Attack on Titan especially some kind of chibi junior high thing which actually has been modelled on what has to be one of the best anime in recent years. Attack on Titan has set a very high standard for anime in recent years which really has not been beaten by another series but now in my opinion doing this sort of series only diminishes the impact that anime had. I can see where they were trying to go with this series but realistically did it work? No. Maybe if you were not a fan or had never seen the original series then maybe you may like this series. I realise it sounds like I am not even giving this series a chance but just from watching the first episode I have no positives for this series, not one. The concept is convoluted and there is literally no point to it bar making a comedy out of a serious anime.
Will I Continue to Watch? No, nothing more to say
Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid
Lastly this week is a pretty anonymous anime to compared to the two above but it is an ecchi, fantasy, action and Shoujo ai anime called Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid which first aired on October 10. Following the transfer of cute ‘mermaid’ Mamori to one of five artificial islands she is accosted and attacked but is then saved by another gorgeous transfer called Mirei. The two are not let off scot free by Mamori’s attackers as they continue their attack. Just when they think all hope is lost the pair share a passionate kiss which transforms the little ‘mermaid’ into a powerful sword, well that is one way to go.
We have had one good and one bad on this week’s line up so this is the deciding vote for whether this has been a good or bad week for anime on Otaku Digest. No pressure anime, no pressure. Then came the fan service, from reading the description of this series we all knew it was not going to be a serious narrative with a just as serious animation. This anime is not safe for work or young minds, I understand the whole Valkyrie and Valhalla aspect of the whole thing but oh wow there was no need to make the fan service quite so, intense even if it actually has something to do with the series. This series if like ones like Prison School where they have been made to shock and be a fan service based anime. This one is basically borderline yuri in its depictions of weapons and battles, they make it slightly hilarious in just how trashy they manage to make this anime. Going on the first episode there was no story bar explaining the way one of the woman turn into weapons through, foreplay to put nicely.
Will I Continue to Watch? Mindless trash and it is hilarious but no.
