Winter Anime Season (Part 5)

Title: Toaru Hikuushi e no Koiuta (Love Song for a Certain Pilot)
Release Date: January 6, 2014
Studio: TMS Entertainment
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Action/Adventure
Synopsis: Sibling pilot trainees Kal-el (seriously) and Ariel Albus join the Aerial Division of Cadoques High, seeking love, friendship and the mythical End of the Sky. Based on the light novel series by Koroku Inumura.

Verdict: Holy shitballs, that was pretty. It's no secret that a lot of time, love and care has gone into crafting each detail of Inumura's world, and, in spite of some on-the-nose romance scenes later in the episode, a compelling story seems to be taking shape. Set in a fantasy world dominated by aviation, the story begins with "Kal" and Ariel's induction ceremony.

And you thought your first day of school was stressful.

After sharing a tearful goodbye with their sisters and father, the brother and sister jump in their plane and fly to their new home - Cadoques High, a pilot school built on the flying island of Isla. Once there, Kal sets about the arduous task of settling into his new life and getting to know his fellow trainees - including an odd but friendly girl named Claire Cruz.

Let the shipping begin.

There's plenty to like here. As anyone who knows me could tell you, I'm a huge sucker for flying islands in fiction, and this anime is no exception. The stunning visuals aren't exactly a surprise considering TMS Entertainment's storied history, but that doesn't make breathtaking realism of each scene any less awe-inspiring. The story also seems to be developing at a good clip, with plenty of interesting questions being raised by the time the credits roll. Is there class conflict between the trainees of Royal birth and the commoners? Who is Nina Viento, and why does Kal flip out at the sight of her? What is the End of the Sky and why did Kal promise his mother that he would find it? What happened to his mother anyway? Why is Ignacio Axis such a frigid asshole? Why is the main character named after Superman? All of this and more remains to be seen, and the next episode can't get here soon enough.

The Fall Anime Season is Here (Part 9)!

Title: Ore no Nounai Sentakushi ga Gakuen Love Come o Zenryoku de Jama Shiteiru (aka Noucome)
Release Date: Oct. 9, 2013
Studio: Diomedea
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Fantasy
Premise: Kanade Amakusa is just like any other high school-age boy, except for his ability (or is it a curse?) of Absolute Multiple Choice: periodically Kanade is presented with two equally absurd choices, and whichever he chooses will come to pass in the real world.

Verdict: I am pleasantly surprised. Usually romantic comedy anime cash in on gratuitous shots of bouncing boobies and underwear, but every once in a while there's a show that tips the scale more towards laughs than fan service. Noucome is just such a show. Good humor subverts the audience's expectations by introducing extraordinary elements to ordinary situations. And nothing is more extraordinary than Kanade's Absolute Multiple Choice.

Imagine having a completely innocuous conversation with a classmate and suddenly being forced to choose between 1) asking to touch her boobs and 2) asking her to touch yours. This is only the first of many difficult choices Kanade is forced to make throughout the day, and I'd really feel for the guy if I wasn't too busy laughing. Each Absolute Multiple Choice provides a one-two comedy punch of anticipation over which answer he'll choose and payoff watching his choices play out in reality. It's a unique gimmick that shouldn't get old for a while.

It's a bit early to comment on the anime's story since the catalyst for the romantic part of the show wasn't introduced until the end of the episode. After a day of dealing with particularly bizarre choices, Kanade is presented with the choice of either catching a beautiful girl who falls from the sky or catching his overweight neighbor; he elects the former and a new chapter of his life appears to begin. This girl from the sky claims she's here to rescue him, but it remains to be seen how she'll accomplish this. In the meantime, the shenanigans that are sure to follow should peak viewers' interest.

The Fall Anime Season is Here (Part 4)!

Title: Nagi no Asukara
Release Date: Oct 3, 2013
Studio: P.A. Works
Genre: Supernatural, School Life, Romance
Premise: Hikari Sakishima and his three friends, all children from a race of sea-dwelling humans, must attend school with humans on the surface after their underwater middle school closes its doors. Hikari must contend with the ridicule of his land-dwelling classmates, the ire of his fellow sea-dwellers, and a surface boy who has taken a special interest in his childhood friend, Manaka.

Verdict: I probably should have expected this since P.A. Works was involved, but this really registered with me on an emotional level. This will probably hold true for any viewer who has known young love, especially love of the unrequited variety. As Hikari opines in the opening scenes:

"What can I do? Without someone else, she just wouldn't get through life. I have to be with her."

By the time the end credits roll, however, it's apparent to everyone (except perhaps Hikari himself) that he may actually be the one who needs her. The surface boy, Tsumugu, throws many a wayward glance in Manaka's direction, and she doesn't seem to mind the attention. To make matters worse, Manaka's friend Chisaki carries a flame for Hikari; and there's a touching scene where she reveals she is torn between her feelings for Hikari and her friendship with Manaka. Experience says this unrequited love rectangle is sure to only get more complicated as time goes on.

To keep from telling another stale young love story, Nagi no Asukara also adds supernatural elements. Legend has it that all humanity is descended from the ancient sea god, originally living underwater. When a faction of mankind ditched their gills to live on land, the sea god became angry, leading to mankind's travails with droughts and fights over fresh drinking water. Mankind sent sacrificial maidens out to sea in boats to appease the sea god, and sea dwellers are supposedly the offspring of the sea god and said maidens.

Despite these shared origins, it is clear that tensions between the land and the sea are running high. Surface kids tell Hikari and his friends that they "stink of fish" and vandalize his older sister's workplace. The men of his underwater village gripe about fishermen who fish outside of their designated zones. Hikari, who is heir to the shrine where his father serves as high priest, must lend an ear to his fellow villagers' complaints and try to make sense of it all.

It makes for an interesting mix of elements. There looks to be a large ensemble of characters, and write Mari Okada (whose past credits include the excellent Wandering Son and tear-jerking Anohana) seems more than able to communicate everyone's frenzied jumble of emotions. Supporting characters like Lord Uroko (who is already my favorite) should flesh out Hikari and co.'s underwater world and provide some lighthearted moments between bouts of teenage angst. P.A. Works looks like they have another hit on their hands with this one.