Anime Column] Anime Writers' Summary Review of Spring 2015 Anime!　Five notable works including "Houkago no Pleiades" and "Danmachi" are introduced!

Summer has finally arrived, and many of the new anime that started in April have reached their finale. In this issue, we will review the popular and noteworthy works that have reached their finale. The following works were reviewed: "Houkago no Pleiades," an original anime by GAINAX and Subaru, an automobile brand; "Yamada-kun to 7 witches," based on a popular comic that has also been made into a TV drama; Kyoto Animation's brass band anime "Hibikake! Euphonium," "It's Wrong to Seek an Encounter in a Dungeon," which has attracted attention not only for its main story but also for its costumes, and "Nyurunyuru! KAKUSEN-kun 2nd season", the world's only KAKUSEN anime!

■" Houkago no Pleiades" (After School Pleiades )

In order to fix the mother ship of the lost Pleiades aliens, five junior high school girls become wizards and search for pieces of the engine. Although the synopsis makes it sound like an ordinary magical girl story, the magic flying stick easily breaks through the speed of the first universe, and the stage is set to expand from the earth to the entire universe. It is unmistakably space science fiction, combining a macro world setting that reaches beyond the solar system and galaxy to the surface of phenomena with a micro perspective that delves into the inner lives of the characters.
As is typical of GAINAX, the film also pays close attention to science fiction research and uses motifs from past works, such as the Urasima effect and the many-worlds interpretation. In the final episode, "On the Shore," there is even a scene reminiscent of "THE END OF EVANGELION. The ending of "Houkago no Pleiades," which seems to reinterpret the last scene from a new standpoint, leaves a fresh and slightly sad aftertaste.

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches

As if to mock the innocence of an otaku who wants to marry the man he first kissed, the story progresses through a series of kisses exchanged by the characters. For those of us for whom kissing, sex, and marriage form a sacred and inviolable trinity, the sight of loveless kisses flying around is almost like a wild party. The background of the official website of the anime is filled with a penis and a vagina, which is also quite a disgrace.
However, the main story is a surprisingly straightforward love story, probably due to the single-mindedness of the main character, Ryu Yamada. Even though his kissing ability allows him to switch into various bodies, his struggle for the heroine, Urara Shiraishi, is pure and innocent. The story teaches us the importance of an unchanging heart, no matter what the circumstances. The passionate performances by the cast members, who play the voices of the characters who have switched bodies, is also a highlight of the film.

Hibike! Euphonium

On her first day at high school, Kumiko Kozen listens to a performance by the brass band, and her face twists involuntarily at the ineptitude of the performance. She is apparently so bad at it that she says, "This is no good." On the other hand, the story also depicts a group of female students who listen to the brass band's performance with sparkling eyes. Unlike Kumiko, these girls seem to be people who do not know whether a performance is good or bad. This film thus easily exposes the haves and have-nots. This cruelty was expressed in the final episode by the uniforms, which were recognizable at a glance: those who passed the audition wore winter uniforms and those who failed wore summer uniforms.
The contrast is even more pronounced in the re-audition in episode 11. The soloists are supposed to be chosen by the applause of all the members of the club, but most of them cannot clap their hands. The members of the club, who have so far made choices that would not cause problems, are left with no choice but to remain silent in the face of choices that both sides are angling for. In the midst of all this, Kumiko stands up and continues clapping for Rena Kosaka. That applause rings high because it is equipped with the tone of determination to be special, too.

■" Is it wrong to seek encounters in dungeons?

Although this is a fantasy set in a different world, is it my imagination that the main character, Belle Cranelle, looks more like an aspiring professional athlete than an adventurer? The guild advisor who directs her adventures looks like a trainer, and the luggage-handler supporter who accompanies her in the dungeon looks somewhat like a caddie. And the advisor who asks Bell out on a date as soon as he realizes that Bell is a promising prospect is a bit like a female announcer who is after a naive high school draft pick.

Such fantasies are fueled by the presence of Hestia, Belle's wife, who continues to support her. She is devoted to Belle, even to the point of devoting herself to a part-time job even though she is a god, but the more she devotes herself to him, the more Belle's fame as an adventurer grows, and the more the female characters take an interest in him. The more she does, the more Belle's fame grows, and the more the female characters take an interest in her.

Nyurunyuru! KAKUSEN-kun 2nd season

This short animation series is based on the motif of horny plugs clogging up human pores, and while the first season ended with a brilliant deus ex machina through bridal esthetics, in the second season the horny plugs form the idol group "Nyuruzu. In the second season, the keratinocysts form the idol group "Nyuruzu" and aim to compete in the anime song festival "Animelo Summer Live," a storyline that no longer has anything to do with skin.

The main character, Nyruo, continues to be played by child actor Yusho Ito. The direction of having the boy speak crude lines has not changed, and the viewer can still enjoy the loose and borderline-perfect episodes. Toward the end of the episode, characters from the first season also appear, and the story finally takes place in space. ...... The activities of Nyurus will continue even after the end of the on-air program, so be sure to keep an eye out for them.

(Text by Katsunori Takahashi)

2015 Spring Anime Review Submission Campaign is underway (until July 20)! (until July 20).
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