SIM Anime and Gaming Club

This picture defines the Spring season for me =D

Following in the footsteps of a really good winter season, the spring season did pale in comparison which was expected. However, there were a few diamonds amidst the junk and even a contender for anime of the season!!!! I still had Gosick to follow as well.
My habit each season is to watch around 3-4 episodes of all the animes each season that appeal to me and thereafter decide on which is worth the time to follow. I hope my impression on the shows serve as a guidiance for recommendations for those who did not follow anime seasons closely due to:

1)Preferring to watch animes all at once instead of weekly
2)Awaiting recommendations
3)Only watch Naruto/Bleach





Episodes: 11
Genre: Drama
Studio: A-1 Pictures

This is without a doubt my Anime of the season.
When an anime is really really good (aka Awesome), I usually stop following it weekly and wait till it finishes airing to watch it all at once. I did it with Madoka last season, and I’m doing it with Ano Hana now.

Ano Hana is an original work (not an adaption) of 5+1 childhood friends whom drifted apart as they aged and had to reunite in order to fulfil the wish of one of them. What is amazing about Ano Hana is that even if I spoiled the story for you now, you will still enjoy watching it. This is because the story is not some complex web but a rather simple tale whereby you sort of know what to expect from it. However, the execution is near perfect and brilliant, making it one of the best shows I have seen period. This is partly due to the exceptional VA for this show who were able to convey the wide array of emotions each individual characters expressed extremely well.

The first ten or so minutes of the 1st episode might portray the show as moe junk but once it ended, it set the bar for the season, blowing the other shows well away. Being an 11 episode show, the producers could not afford to waste episodes and they did not disappoint in that area. Every episode of Ano Hana was packed full of drama and emotions, as much as can be packed in 11 episodes. There was never a draggy moment. The characters are really what drove the anime forward. Each were given time for development and their individual strengths/weaknesses and personal issues were well portrayed.

I highly recommend this show to anyone whom loves an emotional rollercoaster. This show was able to do in 11 episodes what shows like Clannad took 2 seasons to accomplish and that in itself reflects how high I rate it. It is definitely, along with Madoka, contender for Anime of the year. (Warning, if you are prone to liquid coming out of your eyes, have a tissue box ready.)

PS: Best ED song of the year! Love the lyrics! Been looping the song for like 3 hours.





Episodes: 24 (Ongoing 16/24)
Genre: Slice of Life
Studio: P.A. Works

Hanasaku Iroha is plain and simple, about a girl whom, due to circumstances, has to work at an Inn and the life she leads there.The anime is show

It is hard to pin-point what makes Iroha a great watch. Maybe it’s the excellent animation and visuals or how much I enjoy watching Ohana (the main character) tackle her tasks or that the whole cast each have unique and interesting characteristics. For some reason or another, this is the show I look forward to the most each week. Watching each episode/arc puts a smile on my face. Its the perfect kind of show to watch while relaxing. Who knew an anime about a girl working in an Inn could be this interesting?! On track to being a great show.

Give yourself an episode or two, if you like what you see, great! If not, well, the setting and directions do not change much so maybe it just isn’t your cup of tea.



Episodes: 12
Genre: Comedy/Moe
Studio: Shaft <3

The story is about a Lucky male cousin who stays with his cousin who believes she is an alien.......... no one watched this for the story ok.

Ok let’s clear this up first. If you hate moe with a vengeance, then skip this show. Really.
This was one of my guilty pleasures for the season, partly because I needed my Shaft fix, and partly because Erio is the cutest thing ever. Seriously.Niche show aimed at a specific target group.

Apart from moe overload destroying your nutbladder and HNNNGGGGGGGGGH at every episode, the animation quality is jaw dropping, better then everything else this season. Shaft never fails to disappoint in this aspect. Episode 2 kinda hinted at a story but, meh, there isn’t one. The comedy aspect is, well, not the best. I would recommend this only to Shaft fans (like me) or those whom enjoy moe overload.



Episodes: 11
Genre: Action/Mystery
Studio: FUNimation

This show had the most interesting concept of the season, especially for those whom study economics. It is essentially how money and the financial sector affect everything. The premises really drew me in. Fights played out in Pokemon-style battles whereby the Assests (the pokemons) attacked via either a micro or macro style attack. You can strengthen your Pokemon by getting people to purchase your shares. Enough econs for you? Ultimately, the show was let down by its execution and screwed up ending which I hated. Give it a shot if it sounds ok, if not, you are not missing out on much.

Episodes: 12
Genre: Comedy/Romance
Studio: Manglobe

Nerd who plays dating sims 24/7 has to capture real girls (Get them to fall in love with him and kiss them) to vanish the evil spirits in them so that he can serve his part in a deal with a moe demon and thus return to his peaceful life of gaming 24/7.

Sequel so it automatically gets a watch. A fun series. It parodies many clichés in romance shows and I did laugh out loud a few times. I am a fan of the follow the manga, which is still on-going, and I for some reason, I prefer the manga over the anime. If you like a different kind of harem, with some plot, you might enjoy this.



Hidan No Aria (Dropped at Episode 7)
The first 6 episodes were good. It had a good plot although the characters were abit blend. After 6, it became a harem fest.

A Channel (Dropped at Episode 5)
K-on/Lucky Star wannabe that failed. Got bored of it. 

Dog Days (Dropped at Episode 3)
Sighhhhh. When I read the synopsis and saw the 1st 15 minutes, I expected a decent fantasy/action adventure. I ended up getting dog days……..

Ao No Exorcist (Dropped at Episode 4)
Shonen crap that will go the way of Naruto/Bleach.

Sofuteni (Dropped at Episode 2)
If you want to make an ecchi anime, do it properly.

Oretachi Ni Tsubasa (Dropped at Episode 2)
Harem fail Crap. Initially picked it up because character art looked nice.

Hoshizora e Kakura Hashi (Dropped at Episdode 2)
Homo Crap. Initially picked it up because character art looked nice.