Spring 2016 Anime Guide

Koutetsujou no Kabaneri

25 years passed since the attack of some zombies called as Kabane, and now the survivor human live in some stations with the protection of giant wall and also special forces who’s ready to take on the KAbane. Because the survivor human live in some train stations, there are also some special forces who are placed in special train set to defeat every Kabane. One of those train set called as Koutetsujou, or The Iron Fortress.

After a chain of mystery series (Rampo Kitan, Subete ga F Ni Naru, & Erased), this time noitaminA programming presents something different, a steampunk action anime. At glance, Koutetsujou no Kabaneri will remind you of Shingeki no Kyojin, with it main premises about “attack” to “humans” and the appearance of “special forces with its special weapon”, and don’t forget the protector giant wall part, well it’s because this anime was produced by some staff from Shingeki no Kyojin in Wit Studio. Aside from that fact, this series also had some unique combination of zombie apocalypse in steampunk action with some touch of feudal-era of Japan. Looks like there will be more interesting stuffs in this series because in its first episode, it’s not only showed some action but also gave some social critics. (Rafly N/KAORI Newsline)

Kuma Miko

Machi is a middle schoolers and also a Miko (shrine maiden) in a Shinto shrine that enshrines bear (Kuma) in a rural mountain area in Tohoku, northen Japan. The guardian of Machi itself is a talking bear named Natsu. One day, Machi asks permission to Natsu to study to a school in city. Then Natsu, who is a worrywarth bear, give her some trial in order to make her able to survive in city live.

Sets in village, Kuma Miko seems succes to present us a good view of rural village even with just simple illustrations. The relationship between Machi and Natsu is also interesting to follow. When Machi started to hate her job as Miko, she also needs to consider Natsu’s feeling whom will she left soon. The comedy is also interesting, although it won’t make you laugh out loud, at least it is suitable to erase your boringness. This first episode also show us some characters with various characteristics, that is good things for a comedy-slice of life anime. The opening song also has a cheerfull feel that is suitable for this anime’s atmosphere. (M Razif Dwi Kurniawan / The Indonesian anime Times)

Kuromukuro

During the construction of the Kurobe Dam, an ancient artifact was discovered, and so the United Nations Kurobe Research Institute was established. Intellectuals from all over the world gathered to study the object, and the children of those researchers attend Mt. Tate International Senior High School, including the institute head’s daughter, Yukina Shirahane. In the summer of 2016, a mysterious meteorite suddenly crashed onto the earth, while at the same time, a lone samurai once again awakens.

Produced as original project to celebrate 15th anniversary of P.A. Works, Kuromukuro’s animation looks far better than its predecesor last season. CG quality also looks nice here. Fans of action genre also will not be dissapointed because the action scene, while not too special, still looks good. One of the most memorable scene here is a fighting between an alien mecha against a samurai who, literally, only bring a sword with him. In this scene P.A Works’s staffs successfully display their skill by combining a fluid animation, neat CG movement, and good framing to create an epic battle scene. (Dany Muhammad/Indonesian Anime Times)

Macross Delta

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Macross Delta is set in the year 2067, 8 years after the events of the latest Macross TV series, Macross Frontier. The story focuses on Walküre, a team of talented idols and the Delta Squadron, a team of experienced Valkyrie pilots as they battle against the Var Syndrome, a mysterious phenomena that is consuming the galaxy and there is also the mysterious Aerial Knights Valkyrie fighter team of the Kingdom of Wind.(ANN)

Macross Delta reminds me with a certain series created by Sunrise years ago. It contains the same Idol-Mecha genre combination. However, Sunrise’s series was so bad that the idol fans agreed to say “this show is never existed”. Will Satelite sets the bar for this “unique” combination or will it be become the “Second Coming” of Sunrise’s series? (Naufalbepe – KAORI Newsline)

Mayoiga

30 young men and women came together on a shady bus tour. The tour’s destination: an illusive, possibly nonexistent village called Nanakimura. In Nanakimura, one can lead a utopian existence, free of the worldly worries… or so it was rumored, like an urban legend. “In despair over the real world … wanting to escape the tedious daily life … wanting to restart your life from scratch …” the bus headed deep into the mountains, carrying 30 people each harboring their own expectations and wounds in their hearts…And so, the place these 30 arrived at, was an uninhabited village with the lingering faint scents of life, even though it was falling apart. What is the truth of Nanakimura facing the 30?

2016 Spring season opened with an original anime directed by Tsutomu Mizushima and assisted by Mari Okada as scriptwriter. Animated by studio Diomeda, they successfully created a mysterious atmosphere in the first episode. A good fog effect, the song with mysterious lyric, and even more mysterious premise. Moreover, the framing here effectively capture feeling that need to be conveyed to the audiences, for example when they use close up shot to the characters face, which make character faces fill up the frame and create uncomfortable feeling of a character who trapped in narrow frame. The huge number of characters probably can inhibit the viewers’ interest here, since it will be difficult to memorize them all. But aside that, the first episode of Mayoiga is executed very well and recommended for them who are looking for a mystery thriller anime. (Dany Muhammad/Indonesian Anime Times)

This seasonal guide continues on next page.