This post was written by Dark_Sage. He is Dark_Sage.
Don’t know what’s good this season? Let Dark_Sage’s superior taste guide you to the best short shows. (A much meatier post is in the works for the full-length shows this season. ETA: unknown.)
Note: I’ve seen at least four episodes of all the shows listed here (which should be all the short anime series airing this season). Figure that’s good enough.
Short Shows:
Ai-Mai-Mi
![[HorribleSubs] Ai-Mai-Mi - 03 [480p].mkv_snapshot_01.00_[2013.02.09_16.17.30]](https://i0.wp.com/crymore.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/HorribleSubs-Ai-Mai-Mi-03-480p.mkv_snapshot_01.00_2013.02.09_16.17.30.jpg)
Worth watching? No.
I don’t know why they made this show — it has no value whatsoever. I watched a few episodes a week ago and couldn’t remember what I saw (bad sign). So I had to re-read the plot blurb for the first episode to realize I was watching a show about female mangaka.
It’s your standard “lol random” schtick that lots of short anime stick to, except Ai-Mai-Mi forgot the whole “entertainment” piece that’s supposed to go along with it.
The show is utterly forgettable and a complete waste of time. Avoid.
Boku no Imouto wa Osaka-Okan (My Fucking Imouto’s an Osaka Momma)
![[HorribleSubs] Boku no Imouto wa Osaka Okan - 01 [720p].mkv_snapshot_01.41_[2013.02.09_16.25.13]](https://i0.wp.com/crymore.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/HorribleSubs-Boku-no-Imouto-wa-Osaka-Okan-01-720p.mkv_snapshot_01.41_2013.02.09_16.25.13.jpg)
Worth watching? Yes.
It’s interesting learning about the entirely irrelevant things that make Osakans different from other Japanese people. “Osakan != Most Japanese” is a common theme in anime, so any chance to see why is welcomed.
The show handles the subject matter clearly and it’s well-suited to its length. Not sure I could stomach a full-length series, though.
Inferno Cop
![[Commie] Inferno Cop - 01 [F64D4E95].mkv_snapshot_01.53_[2013.02.09_16.10.04]](https://i0.wp.com/crymore.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Commie-Inferno-Cop-01-F64D4E95.mkv_snapshot_01.53_2013.02.09_16.10.04.jpg)
Worth watching? Yes.
If you liked Panty & Stocking or just enjoy irreverant shows in general, this is for you. Some skeleton cop goes around blowing shit up because he’s a fucking skeleton cop and goddammit the city is infected with crime!
For a short show, it’ll scratch that “feed me as much stupid fun in an episode as possible” itch of yours.
Ishida to Asakura
![[Migoto] Ishida to Asakura - 03 (1280x720 Hi10P AAC) [56D875D2].mkv_snapshot_01.45_[2013.01.30_00.56.09]](https://i0.wp.com/crymore.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Migoto-Ishida-to-Asakura-03-1280x720-Hi10P-AAC-56D875D2.mkv_snapshot_01.45_2013.01.30_00.56.09.jpg)
Worth watching? Sure.
It’s a gag anime with okayish gags and decent female character designs. It sorta reminds me of Cromartie.
Mangirl!
![[Commie] Mangirl! - 02 [F36273C0].mkv_snapshot_01.11_[2013.02.09_16.13.06]](https://i0.wp.com/crymore.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Commie-Mangirl-02-F36273C0.mkv_snapshot_01.11_2013.02.09_16.13.06.jpg)
Worth watching? No.
This a show about female mangaka who are incredibly annoying. That chick in the image above resulted in me slapping her face on my monitor couple times.
No thanks, Mangirl. Watching you is not worth the facepalms required.
Puchimas!
![[Chibiki] Puchimas! - 01 [360p][EB76BA61].mkv_snapshot_01.00_[2013.02.09_16.24.03]](https://i0.wp.com/crymore.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Chibiki-Puchimas-01-360pEB76BA61.mkv_snapshot_01.00_2013.02.09_16.24.03.jpg)
Worth watching? Idolm@ster fans only.
If you like Idolm@ster, you might like this series. If not, don’t waste your time. It’s just stupid kawaii moeblob (in the literal blob sense) bullshit with an Idolm@ster overlay.
Senyu.
![[Commie] Senyuu. - 03 [76B6544B].mkv_snapshot_02.08_[2013.02.09_16.18.13]](https://i0.wp.com/crymore.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Commie-Senyuu.-03-76B6544B.mkv_snapshot_02.08_2013.02.09_16.18.13.jpg)
Worth watching? Sure.
A bunch of heroes go out to defeat a demon lord, but it turns out the demon lord is a cute girl who isn’t evil at all! And what’s this? The heroes sometimes don’t act like heroes?
Yeah, all the humor revolves around that, but it’s a decent way to kill some time anyway.
Yama no Susume (Encouragement of Climb)
Worth watching? Sure.
Two cute girls climb mountains together. It’s okay for mountain climbing propaganda.
tl;dr (you must be really lazy):
Watch
- Boku no Imouto wa Osaka-Okan
- Inferno Cop
Maybe Watch
- Ishida to Asakura
- Puchimas!
- Senyu.
- Yama no Susume
Don’t Watch
- Ai-Mai-Mi
- Mangirl!
Yama no Susume is the best.
I, too, have been enjoying Boku no Imouto wa Osaka-Okan, Inferno Cop, and Yama no Susume this season.
I don’t think Mangirl is too annoying, but I suppose it’s only worth watching if you want to see how bad these girls fail at manga editing. I somewhat like it.
You mean Milky Holmes but much much worse?
Opening of Mangirl is ear-bleeding, I try my best to skip it every time, thank you Commie for using chapters.
There are very few voices that I consider an ear-bleed. http://myanimelist.net/people/549/Natsumi_Yanase
You forgot Line Offline Salaryman.
I don’t consider that an anime.
http://crymore.net/2012/10/13/what-is-an-anime/
I see.
Still the best short this season~
Then why do you consider Inferno Cop an anime? It looks more like these Picture Dramas actually.
That’s a damn fine line you’re drawing there. I’d be interested in hearing you justify anime and picture dramas as two distinct art styles.
Oops, I a word there. *classifying, probably.
Inferno Cop feels like an adult swim show. I didn’t know Nippon had a sense of humor until this.
Yeah it does. I think you’d like Panty and Stocking too.
Season 2 pls ;_;
It really does need it.
Gainax is never giving it to us. It’s their eternal troll.
ep 5 demands a season 2… right? ;_;
Boku no Imouto wa Osaka-Okan is AOTS.
Senyuu is the best
Don’t know what’s good this season?
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Honestly, any worthwhile series this season is either a sequel or the second part of a 24-episodes-long anime.
I’m just waiting for that Little Witch Academia OVA. I’ll give my support to Trigger by illegally downloading their show. It’s better than doing nothing, right?
Except Inferno Cop ofc. It can be good quality fun sometimes.
I dunno, I’m finding this season to have a lot 8/10s and 7/10s for me. Sure, there are a lot of good continuing shows, but I wouldn’t say it’s a bad season. If I were struggling to find a 6/10, you’d see me bitching, but as-is, it’s decent enough a season for me to not write it off.
See I just don’t agree, for me the only new shows this season that are above 6/10 are Kotoura (and it lost some points with the Moritani redemption shit) and Mondaiji. Everything else that I really enjoy is a sequel or a continuation.
Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of new shows that fall into the “strictly average” category that I am still watching that are entertaining enough. Despite my above hyperbole I don’t actually think this season is shit, it’s just… unimpressive? Uninspiring? There’s almost nothing that stands out in any way. A year from now I’ll look back and ask “Wait, what aired that season again?”
There’s Mondaiji, GJ-bu, Love Live, Vividred, Kotoura (it will probably become mediocre rather soon unfortunately) and Sasami (might go either way). I agree that only exceptionl shows are AKB0048 Next Stage and Chihayafuru S2 (sequels) but there certainly are some anime to watch. When I have more good shows a season than days in week, I’m happy.
Of course, there’s also stuff like Spring 2012 when I really enjoyed 15 shows and three of them were AOTY candidates but not every season can be that good.
Well yes, that’s what I’m saying. I’m watching all of those shows you listed (well, I’ve only seen the first 2 eps of Vividred, Ni No Kuni has put me way behind on anime) and to me the only ones in the 7 or 8 out of 10 range are Kotoura (might start sucking soon) and Mondaiji (Will likely stay good). The others I consider strictly average, throwaway entertainment that I won’t even remember a year from now.
I’m quite pessimist towards anime these days. Simply put, I’m not able to find a good series that doesn’t have big, big holes that fully kick you back out of the atmosphere (Shin Sekai Yori, P-P). Then there are the most painful ones, which start with an incredible, super-exciting premise (E7AO, Chuunibyou), but end up with face-palming finales. It’s painful really: I *want* to like those shows, but it feels like they keep hitting me back when I try to be open-minded/tolerant.
Maybe that’s the reason why I have so much faith in Imaishi – the guy makes fun shows that make humor out of Japan’s stereotypes, something I rarely see in anime nowadays. He’s different form the rest of the studios, too: for example, KyoAni tries to be funny with moe, while Imaishi tries to be funny with good, nonsensical humor.
Also, he makes/takes part in mecha mastepieces every now and then. Man, I want a good mecha series to come out, it’s been so long… ;A;
Actually, scratch that: they’re not face-palming finales, they’re soul-crushing. They teach me what should not be done. They ruin whatever affection I had grown with those character over 12/24 weeks of my life.
>Simply put, I’m not able to find a good series that doesn’t have big, big holes that fully kick you back out of the atmosphere (Shin Sekai Yori, P-P).
Congratulations! You’re one of the few people who are too smart to watch anime.
I don’t watch any shows listed above ( ¬‿¬)
You rebel.
Then you should watch gdgd Fairies.
Fuck yeah, Inferno Cop!
the only thing worth watching this season
Puchim@su! is unsurprisingly mediocre. Manga adapations are rarely great & this is most definitely not an exception, the most obvious being the pacing issues. You’d think being a short would prevent dragging episodes out or adding dullness, but this is plagued with it.