Spring 2016 Anime Season First Impressions (Part 2)

Welcome back to my 'Spring 2016 Anime Season First Impressions' article series!

The Lost Village

“The Lost Village” (originally titled “Mayoiga”) is a mystery/drama series that follows a group of 30 different individuals pooled into a shady bus tour that only has one destination: Nanakimura Village, where the new inhabitants plan to create a new society away from their past lives. Sounds good, no?

I’ve been putting off reviewing this series for a week, and for good reason: “The Lost Village” is pure garbage. Why? Let’s count the ways.

“The Lost Village” tries way, way, way too hard. What does this mean? Well, for one, it takes itself deathly seriously. And when I say that, I mean it: deathly, horrendously seriously.

I mean, I expected it to be serious, but not like this. Just… not like this. Judging by the opening, and the entirety of the first two episodes, it doesn’t even seem to be a joke, but, boy, do I hope it was. I really wish it was.

Also, about those characters: I know it’s intentional that they’re the type of people that could never, ever live together, and that they are supposed to be unlikable, but some of these lines are unnervingly bad.

I mean, it is possible for the show to reveal something good that makes up for its (albeit plentiful) past/current mistakes, but, right now, I’m just not seeing it. Maybe the corny execution will lead up to something? I don’t know, but, for now, I’ll try to bear through the rest of the show. Let’s just hope it isn’t for nothing.

3/10- I hope it’ll get good, but having hope doesn’t save up for what it is right now: “The Lost Village” is a train wreck, in its logic, characters, writing, dialogue, execution, and everything else in between.

Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World-

“Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-” is the latest ‘trapped in another world’ adventure/fantasy series among many others like it. But is it?

The story follows Subaru, a boy who usually acts as a shut-in, as he is summoned to another world, a world filled with beasts, magic, and fairies. In this new world, he’s very much out of the loop, and this becomes apparent as he is cornered by 3 thugs while walking down an abandoned alleyway. However, a silver-haired girl swoops in to save him, and when Subaru decides to repay the favor, she agrees. As soon as they manage to get a lead on what they’re searching for, though, they are killed, only to have Subaru end up at his starting point in this new world. Can he change his and others’ fates, or will they be forever subject to their own grisly demises?

At first, this anime got a lot of people calling it ‘generic’ and having been ‘seen before,’ but I can’t blame them: the ‘trapped in another world’ trope has been used countless times before, and, while it may have been done right on some occasions, it still doesn’t excuse the fact that it’s very common.

However, this anime seems… different. I liked the first half of the 50-minute first episode, and, while it seemed to poke fun at the common tropes used in some of the similar anime much like it, it seemed like just that: a solid ‘trapped in another world’ anime. Though, as the second of the episode popped in, the show revealed its fully colors: this thing is pretty grisly. Not gratuitous, mind you, but still pretty dark; at least, further along than its spiritual ilk.

Now, this isn’t to say that just because it’s a little bit dark it’s good, no, it’s just that the series may be willing to explore the concept and its characters a bit more than you’d think.

Much like some other anime this season, I have some high expectations for this one.

8/10- A perfectly solid two episodes make up to be one of the more memorable entries this season; now, all we have to do is wait (and watch, of course).

Kiznaiver

“Kiznaiver” is yet another new Trigger anime, but, this time, follows Katsushira and a group of other high-schoolers who have been recently (and forcibly) bound together by the fittingly-titled ‘Kiznaiver System,’ a system whose only current purpose is to have all of the recipients’ pain be shared among themselves.

If there was one anime this season I had expectations for, it would be “Kiznaiver;” luckily, at the moment, it’s not disappointing.

First off, I just have to get the obvious out of the way: “Kiznaiver” radiates pure Trigger style. There are no “sures” or “buts” here: Trigger went all out with the production department here. Not only are the character designs clean, crisp, and just overall eye-candy, but the general animation, sound design, and soundtrack are all at a very good level.

Some other things that need to be addressed revolve mainly around the plot, and the ideas behind it: this whole ‘sharing pain’ idea is quite a fascinating one, one that raises both the characters’ interests and our own. Could this lead to something else, or is it just the backbone of the series? I don’t know, but I’m quite interested to see where “Kiznaiver” wants to head in its 12-episode run (a run that I think should be a bit longer).

Nevertheless, this looks like it could be a good one, so sit back and (hopefully) enjoy the ride!

7.5/10- Per Trigger’s usual, the overall production is excellent, but in terms of larger-scale ideals, although we’ve certainly got some good dissection materials so far, let’s just see where it goes, shall we?