Spring 2012 Season Wrap

GIVE ME MOAR FISHING!

I was going to hold out on this season review until Saki Achiga-hen was done airing, but, being as I don’t know whether or not the additional three episodes will come out soon or some months later, I decided to just go ahead and slap down my spring thoughts now before sharing my summer choices with you all.

I feel like I watched so much more this season than before, but looking back, I actually am under the previous winter by about four shows.  Still, twelve is probably way too much all at one time! Anime covered include: Acchi Kocchi, Fate/Zero, Hiiro no Kakera, Jormungand, Mouretsu Pirates, Natsuiro Kiseki, Sakamichi no Apollon, Saki: Achiga-hen, Sankarea, Tasogare Otome x Amnesia, Tsuritama, and Zetman.

Initial Impression: Hiiro no Kakera

Airing a full month earlier than the rest of the spring shows, Hiiro no Kakera is an anime adaptation of a popular female romance game by the same name.  For anyone unfamiliar with reverse harems, the set up is pretty similar to regular harem shows, only with several hunks surrounding one girl.  There are the standard archetypes for the gallery, including the male versions of the kuudere, genki, and silent moe  Our protagonist also fits the bill for most reverse harems, being as weak-willed and bland in personality as possible.  This assumedly makes it easier for the viewer to insert her/himself into the story.  While that may have worked in the video game, the game to anime transition feels as if it has lost whatever it was that made it so popular in the first place.