My Anime Recommendations from Spring 2015

Another anime season has come and gone and it’s time again to reflect on and discuss some notable series of the Spring 2015 season. This season unfortunately didn’t produce as many standout titles as last season did, which was something I admittedly find a bit disappointing. Many of this spring’s titles seemed to have a too many harem undertones and too frequently featured cute girls fulfilling male fantasies to make it onto my recommendation list. But that doesn’t mean that there wasn’t anything to recommend, and so this post is dedicated to highlighting those shows that I personally recommend watching if you’re looking to pick up a series from this past season.

Before I begin, I thought I’d reiterate the purpose of these brief reviews, which I explained in the first edition of my anime recommendations, to those who may not have read that first post. I spend a good deal of time watching, thinking about, and analyzing anime. Prior to the start of each anime season (which is broken up into fall, winter, spring, and summer seasons), I meticulously comb over the list of upcoming premiers and choose the series I believe have the potential to be good, well developed, worthwhile shows, keeping in mind key points like plot, character development, positive or engaging content, and the like. Generally I have a pretty good eye for picking up on warning signs for animes that might fall short, be it for developmental or problematic content reasons. For instance, a “harem” classification is generally a pretty good indication to stay away unless you’re interested in that kind of male fantasy thing. But it’s difficult to get a real sense of the anime from a few sentences of description or even a promotional video, and while I often come across multiple websites previewing and recommending upcoming anime, I’ve found there’s a dearth of retrospective season reviews and, even more so, a lack of critiques that critically examine representation and potentially problematic content. With this in mind, I’m starting a regular quarterly series at the end of every anime season where I recommend a few new series for readers to try. If a choice isn’t on the list, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad anime, but rather that I either didn’t watch it, watched it but found it too problematic (be it in terms of its content or otherwise) to recommend or felt it was too prohibitive for the average viewer to pick up and begin watching (generally this applies if it’s a sequel or a non-standalone series. In short, let me wade through the bad shows so you don’t have to!

Houkago no Pleiades (Wish Upon the Pleiades)

Subaru is a high school girl who one day stumbles upon a group of magical girls, one of whom she recognizes as an old childhood friend she had previously grown apart from. The girls, she learns, have been granted these magical powers to help an alien known as a Pleiadian reclaim fragments of its ship’s engine so it may return him and his peoples to their home world and prevent the sophisticated technology from falling into the wrong hands. The Pleiadian quickly recognizes Subaru’s untapped potential and grants her the ability to become a magical girl as well. Together with an old friend she didn’t realize she missed and a couple of new friends as well, Subaru and the others must capture the rogue pieces of engine before they can fall into the wrong hands.

Story: For the majority of the show, Houkago no Pleiades follows a rather standard magical girl formula. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it does leave it initially rather formulaic, with the cast of female protagonists running into a mysterious villain while trying to collect a new missing piece of the Pleiadian’s engine in a good portion of the episodes. The nice thing about magical girl animes, however, is how positive they can be when it comes to highlighting the power of female friendships and containing a cast of admirable heroines. Houkago no Pleiades is no exception to this, with the five girls learning to depend on and support each other in everything they do. But underneath its cute transformations is a rather interesting sci-fi twist, incorporating complex principles like multiple universes, theoretical physics and engineering to give its lore and world a more authentic and surprising feel.

Characters: As much as I enjoyed the general message and tone behind the interactions of the five main characters, I was a little disappointed to see that the characters were largely built off of cute tropes and were, on an individual basis, rather forgettable. Subaru is your rather standard female anime protagonist: clumsy, shy and nice to a fault. The four others are largely summarized with one adjective for each: kind, blunt, enigmatic and devoted. They all get a bit of time devoted to some small character development and backstory, but it doesn’t seem like enough to make them truly memorable. Despite this, their interactions with each other are still heartwarming and they certainly create a cute story of friendship.

Animation & Design: The design in Houkago no Pleiades is gorgeous. It lovingly depicts the genuine beauty of space and the distant galaxy in its backdrops and features some unique animation in the girls’ magical abilities. The soft but colorful palettes typical of magical girl animes pairs well with the natural mystical vibrancy of space imagery. Although I don’t normally enjoy a mixture of hand animation and CG, the pairing here is fairly well done and seamless.

Positive Content: The core redeeming value of Houkago no Pleiades and the main reason it’s ended up here on my list is the way the show highlights positive female friendships. Subaru and her childhood friend Aoi’s relationship is initially presented as understandably rocky, with the two having to come to terms with how their relationship initially dissolved. I found the way their relationship built back up, however, to be rather realistic and natural, with the two having to come to terms with why it happened and getting to know each other all over again. Furthermore, like most magical girl animes, the main characters are very much powerful heroines, which is always nice to see. While some magical girl animes feature fanservice of their young characters, it was refreshingly absent in Houkago no Pleiades.

Negative Content: The most disappointing aspect of Houkago no Pleiades would undoubtedly have to be its rather generic characters, which is a shame and prevents Houkago no Pleiades’ female protagonists from being amongst the ranks of the truly memorable magical girls. I’d like to have seen what the show could have been if the girls had been truly complex, more realistic individuals.

The Bottom Line: A traditional magical girl series with a science fiction twist, Houkago no Pleiades’ biggest draws are its beautiful animation and the emphasis on young girls finding strength in and empowering each other.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOGkl6ZqPWY

Kekkai Sensen (Blood Blockade Battlefront)

In the distant future, a portal to the netherworld has opened up above New York City, causing otherworldly creatures to intermingle and integrate into human society. This world-shaking event also had another consequence: an impenetrable dome has covered the city, preventing any of its occupants from escaping. This new society, where a new sort of “mundane” has been born out of the daily comings and goings of both monster and human, came to be known as Hellsalem’s Lot. But a mysterious organization seeks to disrupt this new sense of normalcy and bring down Hellsalem’s dome, and it’s up to Libra, a super-human crime fighting organization, and Leonardo, a young man with the eyes of a god, to maintain the peace.

Story: Like many Bones studio creations, Kekkai Sensen is truly a unique anime experience whose heart rests largely in its unique narrative and setup. Beyond what we learn in the first few episodes, which I’ve largely summarized above, we actually learn little about what caused the disaster that resulted in Hellsalem’s Lot to begin with. But that’s okay; you learn what you need to about the city by following the day to day interactions of Kekkai Sensen’s main characters mixed with those of the colorful secondary or background characters. One of the most enjoyable parts of Kekkai Sensen’s story is that what’s incredibly odd and surreal to us is often completely commonplace in Hellsalem’s Lot, which results in a lot of wild and incredibly amusing stories that still retain that charming “slice of life feel” yet also contribute to an overarching plot. Small, seemingly meaningless moments all connect together fluidly in a way that, when you finally see it all clicking together, is incredibly satisfying. The real shame is how short the series is – with how complex and naturally chaotic the city is, I would have loved to have seen more (although the last episode has been delayed so it could be extended, so someone must have though the same).

Characters: The characters of Kekkai Sensen are easily one of the most enjoyable aspects of the show. Each has their own very distinct, unique personality and their variety make the interactions amongst each other rich and rewarding. Even when they’re alone or tackling their own personal problems, we get to learn about the way they view and interact with the city around them and. Although a big cast of characters plus a short run time means that unfortunately not every character received a chance in the spotlight or an opportunity to grow, I still felt satisfied enough with what I received.

Animation & Design: Cinematography plays a role in making Kekkai Sensen an unforgettable experience. The camera angles are as uniquely chaotic as the city and not only help to move the story along by showing rather than telling but also help to uplift and keep scenes with lots of exposition fresh and interesting. A jazzy original score also helps to give character to the series.

Positive Content: Despite the fact that not all of its characters are human, each one was either revealed to have very realistically diverse motivations and mindsets. They’re also surprisingly sympathetic. The director of the series – who is largely responsible for the complex cinematography – is a woman, which is refreshing and it’s great to see her work in action.

Negative Content: There are few female characters in Kekkai Sensen when compared to the number of male characters. Those that are reoccurring characters generally have small roles and are some of the least examined and developed characters in the show. It’s really unfortunate considering that I felt I got enough to make me interested in them, but not enough to have a well-rounded idea of their character.

The Bottom Line: Kekkai Sensen is a unique science fiction tale that makes use of its quirky setting, diverse characters and impressive cinematography to explore just how a busy city reacts when it collides with a portal to another world.

Koukaku Kidoutai Arise: Alternative Architecture (Ghost in the Shell Arise: Alternative Architecture)

Ghost in the Shell Arise is an extended retelling of the Ghost in the Shell: Arise film series, which acts as a prequel to the original Ghost in the Shell anime series. In the year 2027, most of the population consists of cyborgs with prosthetic bodies and cybernetic brains. Motoko Kusanagi, a member of a national espionage group, is a master hacker investigating “Ghost Hacks,” or the criminal tampering of what is considered to be the “soul” of the person – their memories. During the course of her investigations, she explores cases and situations where such “Ghost Hacks” have taken place, leaving the affected with falsified memories.

Story: Ghost in the Shell is a long running and notably complex series. Normally I’d advocate for watching the previous editions before jumping to the most recent one, but Ghost in the Shell Arise is actually a prequel and helps explain how Motoko “The Major” Kusanagi came to be the head of Public Security Section 9, so it’s feasible to make Arise be your first foray into the Ghost in the Shell franchise. While we are thrust directly into the sophisticated world of cyberpunk futuristic Japan, Arise does a sufficient job of catching us up and filling us in on the important concepts. Then it takes us on a highly detailed and sophisticated narrative journey, one prone to making chronological leaps and exploring serious themes like privacy and politicized and manipulated memories. Ghost in the Shell Arise raises some serious implications of the cyberization and virtualization of the human race and thoroughly succeeds in making you uncomfortable as you follow Motoko as she, as a highly cyberized person, explores what it means to be human when you’re mostly machine and what you can trust when your very memories can be manipulated with a virus. This is not a casual foray into anime, but it’s well worth the dedication and patience you put into learning and exploring its world.

Characters: Motoko is fairly universally known as one of the strongest and, forgiving my tongue, one of the most badass female characters in anime. Although her body is almost entirely cyberized, with only her brain and “ghost” remaining, she’s undeniably human. She’s stubborn, immensely powerful, and incredibly brilliant. She’s a genius hacker in addition to a veteran detective and military person. But she’s also sympathetic and, as a person reliant upon her cyberization, immensely vulnerable, creating a compelling and interesting protagonist. Ghost in the Shell Arise’s other characters are also noteworthy as it explores their earliest motivations and selves, but it’s in Motoko where the series truly shines.

Animation & Design: While I find myself nostalgic for the previous iterations of Motoko, the design of Ghost in the Shell arise is as artistically sophisticated as ever. The animation is particularly on point when its creating beautiful visual representations of things like Motoko connecting to the virtual cloud or exploring the memories and mind of another character.

Positive Content: In addition to Motoko being one of the most complex female characters in anime, the series never really draws unnecessary attention to it. She’s one of Japan’s leading hackers who just happens to be a woman and her femininity is presented in the best way possible. I don’t recall there being any gendered slurs directed towards her. The series is also notable for how it explores concerns and concepts that, in our increasingly digital world, are becoming more and more of a relevant concern.

Negative Content: Honestly, no negative or problematic content really comes to mind other than the fact that the series can be a little difficult to jump into with all its jargon and sophisticated concepts. It would have been nice to have seen more of the other female specialists we do get glimpses of from time to time.

The Bottom Line: Ghost in the Shell Arise is a concerning and uncomfortable glimpse into the world of cyberization and digitalization that tackles serious in-universe issues through the eyes of a complex and compelling female protagonist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzp81la978M

While there may be fewer recommendations than last time with the series that I’ve listed above you should be able to find something that interests you! Got another series recommendation from this past season or disagree with one of my picks? Wondering what I thought about a particular show from this season I didn’t discuss? Leave a comment below and let me know!