First Impression: Free!

Ever since the teaser that Kyoto Animation released some time ago and then the announcement of the anime, everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE, including the straight guys, are anticipating the airing of this show. But no one are as excited about the news as the fujoshis and who can blame them?

Kyoto Animation has always been known for producing moe anime that is full of high school girls. This time around, though it is still moe, it is full of bishie high school guys wearing spandex. What's not to love?

This show, though one might mistaken as just something for fujoshi to fap to, actually has a plot. It revolves around 4 guys (will be 5 soon) who love swimming. Two of the guys obviously have a thing for each other and voila! However, to make it interesting, they create Rin to be this somewhat "bad guy" while Haru is just an emo bitch so that there will be dorama ahead. KyoAni is pretty straightforward with the OTP for this show.

Naturally the animation and arts are almost flawless. The flipping of wet hair, the butt, crotch and butt shots (yes I know I wrote butt twice) are all glorious. I expect nothing less from Kyoto Animation. It is surely a sight for sore eyes.

The moe-ness gets even more grand during the ED of SPLASH FREE. At first I was WTF-ing but soon enough I was fapping.

I didn't enjoy or get excited about this show as I thought it would be. It was probably because I was watching it in the middle of work. I shall try and watch it again. Especially the ED. Gonna put it on repeat heh.

Episode: 12
Aired: Summer 2013
Producers: Kyoto Animation

arts & animation 10/10
story 7/10
characters 8/10
sound 8/10
enjoyment 8/10
overall 8.2/10

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First Impression: Teekyuu

I didn't pay any attention to this show at first. Saw a few seconds of it and thought that it was shit. But I was extremely bored today and the saw the file again and decided to check it out properly. I am glad that I didn't delete them after the first try.

the girl in green reminds me of princess bubblegum

Teekyuu is a sport anime that revolves around tennis. The first episode shows two girls, one of them is trying to learn how to play while the other is the one who is showing her the ropes.

The pace was absurd but then again the whole setting for this 2 minutes episode show is absurd so it works out just fine. The comedy, though some jokes are just too fast for me to digest, is still funny and thus this show exceeded my expectation which is a good thing.

The characters aren't your typical arch-type characters. I thought the pink-haired girl would be annoying as fuck but turned out she was the one that made this show funny, with all her stupid interactions with the other characters (it's 2 minutes per episode, I won't waste my energy trying to remember the name of these characters).


Definitely going to watch the other episodes. I am downloading them now :)

Episode: tbc
Aired: Fall 2012
Producers: MAPPA

arts & animation 6/10
story 6/10
characters 7/10
sound 7/10
enjoyment 8/10
overall 5.6/10

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First Impression: Kuroko no Basket

To be honest, I am watching this hoping that I get to see some hinted BL. This is resulted from some BL fanarts of this series that I found online. They look so hot I just have to give this series a try. I didn't write anything at all regarding this series in my preview for Spring. I must have missed it and thus I hope this one could pull a (good) surprise.

(c) pixiv id 162069

The series managed to grab my attention for the first six minutes when they introduced Taiga and Tetsuya. This is a good sign indeed which mean I can sit back and enjoyed the rest of the episode without having to rage (too much). Plus, the Tetsuya Kuroko character intrigues me. Though he's unforgettable for the audience, it seems like he's pretty unnoticeable/invincible (and not in a good way) kind of character which sort of hilarious if you think about it. After all, he is supposed to be one of the main protagonists of the show, and one of the Generation of Miracles.

The other protagonist is of course Taiga, who is the complete opposite of Tetsuya. He's loud and is good at basketball though Tetsuya already said that he will be crushed if he goes up against the Generation of Miracles. The only way Taiga can beat them is if he let Tetsuya be his shadow, which is his specialty by the way. Tetsuya is so good at passing ball, people don't even see him touching the ball.

I expected something great in term of arts and animation though, since this is produced by Production I.G. but what I get is a pretty mediocre looking anime which kind of a shame. Thank goodness that the story ain't shit otherwise there is no reason for me to continue watch this show. OK, that's a lie. I will continue watching this show just because I want to meet the other five members of Generation of Miracles. I mean... I've seen the fanarts and they are definitely worthy of faps.

I laughed once which means this show gets instant approval and I am surprised to find out that this show is actually quite good and enjoyable. If only the art is excellent...

arts & animation 5
story 7
characters 6
sound 7
enjoyment 7
overall 6.4/10

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First Impression: Ro-Kyu-Bu!

The second episode is already out but it is only now that I have the time to spare for this shit. The aniblogsphere has been buzzing at how shitty this one is so I don't really know why the hell am I still watching this show. Maybe it has something to do with self-satisfaction, making sure that this is really as shit as everyone said it was. Or maybe I'm just a closet masochist.

(c) tinkerbell

The show is about Subaru, a high school kid who is forced by his aunt (who is smaller than him and looks like an elementary school student) to coach the basketball team at her school. The basketball team in question, has 5 members whom Subaru will gradually warm up to and thus, instead of only coaching for three days, he voluntarily signs himself up for the whole semester. Even more so when he got challenged by small boys acting like brats. So damn predictable.

I thought height plays a big part in selecting the players. They also need to know at least the basic rules about basketball. Apparently these kids are so awesome, they don't give a fuck about all that. Bullshit.

The characters... Tomoka reminds me of Tamaki from Bamboo Blade for whatever reason even though their personalities are so different while Himeji from Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu is Hinata. Moha is obviously Nagi from Hayate no Gotoku. As you have probably deduct by now, I don't exactly appreciate cloning so the characters itself is one of the weakest points for this show. Recycling material is only good in real life, not in anime.

If that's not bad, they even has a shower scene with them naked and placement of strategic bubbles. Then, they even feel each other up in that fucking shower. I mean, these kids are elementary students, for fuck's sake. What are you trying to teach them? Hentai lifestyle? How fucking lolicon can you be? I won't allow my kids to watch this show. Nu'uh. No fucking way.

Though I do want to see the second episode just for the fuck of it though I don't think I ever will. Not with this much backlog, I can't :(

art and animation 4/10
story 4/10
characters 4/10
sound 4/10
enjoyment 4/10
overall 4/10

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First Impression: Giant Killing

I remember that this anime is about football, or soccer as the American would called it because they suck. I have a slight reservation about this anime. I love football and is a fan of Chelsea and when it comes to World Cup, it is Germany all the way. I am afraid if they are going to butcher this with over the top shit. That would ruin the shit imo.

Stupid conversation is stupid *facepalm*

The anime started off with an FA Cup match and Giant Killing is a named they gave to the protagonist. He is a very popular son of a bitch.

this guy here apparently is a genius

Tatsumi is a talented player. He was the proud son of the town and of the football team but when he got an offer from the English team, he accepted it and the people of the town dubbed him a betrayer. What a stupid mindset.

So he came back to revive his old team. Tatsumi will of course has to convince the town to accept him as the manager of ETU. And thus the plot is as clear as a sunny day. But that's what they want you to think. It has it own twists and what not to keep this interesting. Honestly said, I can't wait to see the next episode.

This is one of the reason why I like sports anime.

Kudos to the animation team. They did a pretty good job. I imagined it was not an easy job to make the animation during the match to go so smoothly and at the same time realistically. But when it comes to other stuff, they kinda average. I guess they spend all their time on the game that they neglect the other scenes. Or rather they are doing this intentionally. I mean, I have never seen anime with these kind of character designs yet. So in a way it is unique. Am I a fan? Not yet but who knows what the future might change.


Just look at the skin color and compared it to Tatsumi a.k.a the Giant Killing. This old fuck looks like he should be seven feet under. Also, WTF is up with that nose? The edge of that nose can kill for fuck sake. Lets just hope he didn't headbutt anyone. Lets not even talk about the G.I. Joe haircut...

This anime couldn't come at a better time imo. I understand if this will be a hit in Japan. They are part of the world cup phenomenon so yeah, just something to fuel in the spirit for the upcoming World Cup. Germany FTW!!


art & animation 8/10
story 8/10
characters 8/10
sound 8/10
enjoyment 9/10
overall 8/10

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First Impression: Ookiku Furikabutte ~Natsu no Taikai Hen~

This is definitely the anime that I looked forward to the most. I can't get enough of the first season. If you have yet to see the first season, WTF are you doing? Watch it NIAO! Or damn on you.

Trust me. It's worth it. Even Baka-Raptor endorsed Oofuri (I'm just shooting in the dark here but I remember reading he said so when he comment in one of Glo's post in his ISSS or I could just making up story. Either way, Oofuri is great. Period. Those who said otherwise can suck my detached analog stick).

The second season started where it left off in season 1. I remember who Riou is and since I did read the manga (although is way behind the latest chapters), I guess they'll stick with the story from the manga.

This is going to be an intense second season. That much I can tell from the backstabbing and strategy they set up in the first episode.


Knowing this obviously made me nervous as hell for Tajima. Oh yeah, lets established that Tajima is my most favorite character in Oofuri. He is the most energetic and talented player out of the bunch. They would have lost a lot of game in season one if not for him. Abe comes second. And the rest of the baseball team come in third. You might hate the weak-willed Mihashi but I can't bring myself to do so. Yeah sure he can be annoying with his pussiness but he delivers.

From top left: Abe, Tajima, Mihashi, Izumi and Nishihiro.
Botton from left: Oki, Mizutani, Suyama, Sakaeguchi, Hanai and Momoe (the Coach)

In conclusion, I'm going to be a bias fucker and urge everyone to watch this series. You'll fall in love with it, I swear. Even if you don't, you'll learn to appreciate it. I mean, I know nuts about baseball until I watched the first season of Oofuri and now I'm hooked. It makes me interested in sports anime as well.

art & animation 9/10
story 10/10
characters 10/10
sound 9/10
enjoyment 10/10
overall 9/10

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One Outs

If you think that One Outs is about a baseball game, well you are partially right. Kinda. About 0.5% right. The truth of the matter is, One Outs is about Tokuchi Toua owning everyone after he royally kicked their asses. How? With mind games and absolute brilliance when it comes to strategy.

One Outs is the adaptation of the manga with the same title that was published starting in June 1998 and completed in early 2009. It only has 20 chapters. Kudos to the mangaka, Shinobu Kaitani for coming up with this great story I guess.


Tokuchi Toua is a great pitcher. He joined the Lycaon baseball team after he got an offer from Kojima. He then proceeds by making a deal with the owner of the team which consequently makes the owner losing money. The owner who loves making money than anything else, rather have the team loses games than paying Tokuchi the money he earned. This is where the story gets interesting. You see, most of the teams that the Lycaons are up against have better players and overall are better teams than Lycaons. It is up to Tokuchi to come up with strategies to ensure that his team wins. He always delivers the good and the he does it with a smirk on his face, overbearing at times but often than not just pumps you with adrenalin.

For some reason the art reminds me a lot of Akagi. Maybe it has something to do with Tokuchi's eyes? I dunno. Overall it is nothing to boast about. It could be the only downfall of this show, if I am to be picky about something. But at the end of the day, it does the job so it is fine, I guess.

I like the OP of this show and have it on my computer. It is definitely one of the most memorable OP I have heard. The ED ain't that bad either although it does not have as much impact as the OP. The BGM does it job, adding a sense of suspense throughout the show. It is commendable I think because it fit nicely with the theme of the show. I said this show reminded me of Akagi right? Well the seiyuu for Tokuchi is actually the same guy that did Akagi. The other seiyuus aren't really that famous as far as I know but they did their job well, adding personalities to the member of the teams and their opponents.

Now lets meet the characters.

Tokuchi Toua

That's his motto

This is the man that single handedly make this such an awesome show. Without him this show would have been an utter fail. Nothing fazes him. He is always calculating and will heartlessly eliminates all obstacles. He might not literally kick your ass, but kick it all the same. That is how fucking badass Tokuchi is. I definitely want his babies ^__^

The other characters are not really significant. They are either the enemies that he needs to eliminate or tools that he would used to eliminate the said enemies.

One Outs is about mindgames more than the game baseball itself. The show never gets boring as we seat on the edge at every episodes wondering what is going to happen next. I thoroughly enjoyed the show and only completed it recently because hell, in all honesty I don't want it to end. Definitely a must watch for those who like these kinds of anime, even if you are not into sports.



Thank you B2E fansub for picking this one up.

art 8/10
story 9/10
sound 8/10
characters 8/10
enjoyment 9/10
overall 8/10

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Bamboo Blade

I remember at one particular time, I was obsessed with sports-related anime. In my craze, I picked up Bamboo Blade and was glad that I did. It even makes me interested in kendo. Too bad I'm too old to pick up a sport, or to learn martial art.

Bamboo Blade is pretty straight forward in terms of the story line. We have a struggling kendo club looking for new members to ensure that the club will not be canceled. Of course, as the story progress they managed to gather new members, including two boys. The instructor is kind of good for nothing sensei. One day he met with an old friend, another instructor at another school, and bet that his club can beat the other kendo club in a practice match. The prize is one year supply of sushi (didn't I said he's good for nothing?). Anyway, somehow the practice match leads to the final tournament. There are nice mini stories, trials and tribulations in between that completed this story.

Bamboo Blade does a fairly good job explaining what Kendo is, the strategies and the ropes of the sport. As a total noob when it comes to Kendo, I didn't get lost in the plot trying to understand what has taken place.

Each of the members have eccentrics personalities which make this show so fun to watch because they are such a riot! The members of the club is the heart of this series and totally has the best character chemistry ever. Tamaki got to be my favorite character in the series. She's small and seems to have a quiet personality but she's one of the best at Kendo. Also she's an otaku, so she wins big time. Kirino is the responsible captain of the kendo club and have a close relationship with Sayako, the hilarious red-head. There is also Satori is the timid girl, Miyako who have split personalities and is totally in love with the very eccentric, very geeky, Dan the pimp. Let's not forget Yuuji who is the only sensible male around and seems to be the closest with Tamaki (I was hoping for some romance), and their failure of a teacher, Kojiro.

Despite this being a all female cast for the most part, there is absolutely no ecchi or fanservice to the pervert, which is something that I appreciated.

Kawazoe Tamaki. She might be small but she can so kick your ass to oblivion.

While it may not be the best looking series out there, I think AIC A.S.T.A, FUNimation Entertainment and Studio Tulip did a pretty good job with the art. The characters were designed with their personalities in mind and has such versatility to them. The overall animation is well enough to catch your attention and does not come off as an over kill. Only the background is lacking in character, imo.

The OP of this series is pretty catchy and lively. It will give you a sense of happiness. It also has a sweet ED too. Both songs were done by Hirohashi Ryou (the seiyuu for Tamaki). The background music too is pretty awesome, with epic orchestral pieces to hot-blooded insect songs. The voice actors did at awesome job to add personalities to the characters. They also did well in matching with the characters' various emotion. Did you know, Kojiro is voiced by the same guy who voiced Kamina-sama from Gurren Lagaan, with the same intonations and vocal gestures. It was sheer hilarity and full of epicness!



Bamboo Blade has it all: comedy, drama, romance... all rolled up into 26 episodes. If you are looking for a fun anime with great character chemistry and amusing anecdotes, then Bamboo Blade hits the mark just right. However I can't recommend it to everyone especially if you like plot twist and a fast pace non-linear storyline.

Personally I thoroughly enjoyed this series though :)

Art 8/10
Story 8/10
Characters 10/10
Sound 8/10
Enjoyment 10/10
Overall 9/10

Torrent: TokyoTosho
Fansub: Huzzah-Doremi

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