9. Gunslinger Stratos
A huge letdown; the animation what A-1 does for Slife-of-Life anime, but forcefully adapt into action. The concept is too raw, Gordon Ramsey would shout out his lungs. It’s like A-1 got a script from Square and told them to make 5 hours long of game FMV. Seriously, it’s everything you expect to get from V-Key game anime adaption, sans gameplay. And the ending—although climatic—is still a great chasm of disappointment.
Art: 5/10
Music: 5/10
8. Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka
This show is too mediocre I stopped thinking. This is basically a giant advert to promote the books. After revealing a great fact at the last moment, the show ends, and THAT’S IT FOLKS. This is Kamisama no Memochou all over again. The story’s concept is flawed at any corners; the world seems like an ordinary magical village at first glance, you’d think it’s Gensokyo in disguise. But after following for a while, you will start to question many things; “What is the dungeon? “Why is it there” “Why the adventurers are doomed to venture in and out the dungeon?” “What makes the creatures inside the dungeon keep on respawning?” “What is the purpose of killing them creatures?” “Magic stones? The fuck are they?” and then you finally realise, “bloody hell, this is the world of RPG game! IT’S NOT FUCKING FANTASY AT ALL!” Also, during the whole series, the goddarned protagonist only picked A GIRL in the dungeon. Again also, that finale episode fights, if it were not Shingeki no Kyojin ripoff, then I’m a buttplug turnip!
Art: 7/10
Music: 6/10
7. Arslan Senki
Started as highlight of the season, now we’re here. Actually this show is good, really. It’s just that the others I followed are better. So far by end of the season and starting the second cour, this show hasn’t given its audience any emotional value except for a little amount of moral dilemma. The conflict is yet to be revealed, although the true villain is already introduced. At this point, I refuse to judge anything about its story. This show lost just because the others win.
Art: 7/10
Music: 7/10
6. Nagato Yuki-chan no Shoushitsu
Yeah, since the eponymous arc has passed, I can safely disregard any extras that come after that. The first 9 episodes are not even a build up, just a complete waste of time. Even without watching them. You can just watch episode 9 onward and misses nothing, even if you’re not too familiar with Haruhi universe.
Art: 6/10
Music: 7/10
5. Owari no Seraph
This show is practically the slowest of the season. Some may say that Mika’s development is fast, but I beg to differ. I say “slow” because his story is told parallel to Yuu, so there is no surprise whatsoever. The “slow” build up is not to reveal Mika’s allegiance, but to the truth that humans is the true enemy, which of course we saw coming even without reading the source material. I admit it is good in manga form, but downright mediocre when adapted into audio-visual telling. Also, this show has all the reason and resource to match Yuu with any genetically female heroine, but the author and fandom chose to make it gay instead, that’s another nail to the coffin (spoken ironically, because... oh, nevermind; spoiler).
Art: 7/10 it’s worth mentioning that this studio refuse to use 3DCG in the smallest chance, and I respect them for that.
Music: 8/10
4. Kekkai Sensen
Not until the final episode is aired I can judge its story. But by art and music, I can say that this show is top of its genre. Like I said in my first episode impression, this show’s art is illustrated in lavish recherché style. Sometimes I even wonder if this shows setting was changed to London. “Gads,” I say, “that’d be most extraordinaire gallivancy.” —Although aside from all the elegant imagination, Leonardo/Zapp would speak in Cockney.
Art: 8/10
Music: 8/10
3. Punch line
Came for the pantsus, stayed for the plot. I stopped counting panchiras at episode 4—although I don’t see many of them onwards—and focus on story since then, my brain bluescreen’d at 6 and unfrozen by the end of the story. A lot of plot twist and turns in the show than anything else this season. And the end is beautiful. Oh, the sacrifice. Oh, the living... It’s not happy end for the protagonist—not the protagonist we know, speaking in strict manner—but it’s the best ending it can possibly achieve.
Art: 7/10
Music: 7/10
2. Hibike! Euphonium
KyoAni found a way, like usual. Since the story has yet to conclude its purpose, second season is inevitable, if not then it’s just another K-ON! (Which it’s not, it can’t be). The art is Macross of school life anime, although there are some physics confusions. And I dare to say that KyoAni is the only studio so far who pulled bloom effect without making the animation looks like cheaply upscaled. And the music, the dedication it is to hire an orchestra is amazing. It must be expensive, but it’s worth it, now go buy the DVD and BD.
Art: 10/10
Music: 8/10
1. Houkago no Pleiades
My favourite for this season; the only show that left me to tears. All girls are best girls, the villain turned out to be good and actually is good; everything is perfect. What amazing is that a mahoushoujo anime I picked up on a whim is actually an abyss of 2deep4me. Not just the interstellar flight prowess that every character possess, but also never crossed to my mind that every characters came from different universes and that the timeline is überly fucked up, it requires advanced minds to completely comprehend the whole shebang. The ending was the most beautiful thing I saw this season—the reset button that come afterwards make it more beautiful—and it has the BEST KISS OF THE SEASON! Kissing in front of a FREAKING BLACK HOLE? How do you top that?! Hell, one day my kids will ask why I drive a Subaru and then I will show them this anime.
Art: 8/10
Music: 8/10
This season has been great for me. It has a lot of surprise, the quality of the fanbase are also improving, lesser of shitstorm like I experienced in the last seasons. As so, the season has come to an end, I too have to move on to the next. It won't be long until I do the 2015 Summer's Anime Review part one: the pre-season expectation!