Posted inFirst Impressions Series Introduction THE IDOLM@STER

THE IDOLM@STER – 01

「これからが彼女たちのはじまり」 (Kore kara ga Kanajo-tachi no Hajimari)
"It's the Beginning of These Girls from Here On"

Fans of the IDOLM@STER franchise should be happy about this incredibly faithful adaptation, as it felt like I was watching someone play the Xbox 360 game it's based on before my very eyes. The twelve aspiring female idols (and one producer) constantly broke the fourth wall to communicate with the nameless cameraman (soon to be producer), whose unvoiced lines were subtitled for most of the episode.

Posted inBLOOD-C First Impressions Series Introduction

BLOOD-C – 01

「あまつかぜ」 (Amatsukaze)
"Heavenly Wind"

Production I.G and female mangaka group CLAMP's latest addition to the Blood franchise is here, and it uses the same concept as the variations before it in an all-new story. That concept entails a high school girl named Kisaragi Saya (Mizuki Nana), who uses the "Goshintou" katana passed down by her father's shrine to defeat ancient vampiric demons known as "Furukimono" that prey on humans.

Posted inFirst Impressions NO.6 Series Introduction

NO.6 – 01

「びしょぬれネズミ」 (Bishonure Nezumi)
"Drowned Rat"

If it's Thursday it must be NoitaminA, if it's the second slot it must be an edgy fantastical series, and if it's BONES sci-fi the plot must be indecipherably complex. So far, No. 6 looks to be meeting demand in all three areas.

Posted inFirst Impressions Mawaru Penguindrum Series Introduction

Mawaru Penguindrum – 01

「運命のベルが鳴る」 (Unmei no Beru ga Naru)
"The Bell of Fate Sounds"

The premiere of Revolutionary Girl Utena/Sailor Moon director/writer Ikuhara Kunihiko's original new series makes its way to television airwaves and leaves a very mysterious and promising first impression. All the mention of bearing sins and fighting fate in the commercials comes front and center almost immediately, yet raises just as many questions as I had originally.

Update: I incorrectly deduced that the possessed Himari is Oginome Ringo (Miyake Marie) based on the episode credits and how she's been described as heroine who's just as important as Himari. In reality, Ringo is actually the schoolgirl who walked by Shouma. My apologies for any confusion this may have caused.

Posted inFirst Impressions Kami-sama Dolls Series Introduction

Kami-sama Dolls – 01

「神は来たりて」 (Kami wa Kitarite)
"God Arrives"

The adaptation of Yamamura Hajime's action fantasy manga may not have ranked very highly in the seasonal poll, but I was pretty sold on what I read in the early parts of the manga. The promo material left me with a good first impression, and Brain's Base delivers impeccably with this premiere episode, quickly reminding me of all the potential that I saw.

Posted inFirst Impressions Series Introduction Yuruyuri

Yuruyuri – 01

「中学デビュー！」 (Chuugaku Debyuu!)
"Middle School Debut!"

I'm never opposed to a series about cute girls doing cute things, so I'm always up for a slightly different spin on it. To that end, we have a trio of trio of middle school girls, Akaza Akari (Mikami Shiori), Toshinou Kyouko (Ootsubo Yuka), and Funami Yui (Tsuda Minami), and the unofficial "Fun Club" they run in the ex-tea ceremony clubroom.

Posted inFirst Impressions Ikoku Meiro no Croisée Series Introduction

Ikoku Meiro no Croisée The Animation – 01

「入口 "Entrée"」 (Iriguchi)
"Entrance"

To most viewers, this will undoubtedly be the slowest and most uneventful new series of the season, and be quickly written off as "boring" or "dull", but for Aria fans such as myself, it's one of my most anticipated adaptations of the season, featuring a heartwarming 19th century story about a young Japanese girl named Yune (Tooyama Nao, Kanon in Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai), who travels to Paris, France to work.