First Impressions: Winter 2014 – Nisekoi, Sekai Seifuku: Bouryaku no Zvezda and Z/X Ignition

Thank feck we’re nearly done with first impression posts – still haven’t a bloody clue what I want to blog this season though…..any requests? LOL

Anyway lets look at Nisekoi, Sekai Seifuku: Bouryaku no Zvezda and Z/X Ignition: Zillions of Enemy X.

Nisekoi (False Love)

Nisekoi has nothing new to bring to the romcom table.  The only noteworthy thing about the show is SHAFT’s signature visual style, and at this stage that is hardly new and exciting – we’re not seeing anything new here.  It’s not a bad show I suppose, but since I was struggling to pay attention by the 12 minute mark, I don’t think I have much hope of finding it in me to stay interested for the entire season.

This is the problem with watching so much anime, formulaic shows like this just seem hopelessly dull – I’m sure if Nisekoi is your first taste of SHAFT-romcom you’d be really interested in all the directorial and visual quirks.  However to me it just feels like SHAFT on auto-pilot and I since the actual plot of Nisekoi seems dull as hell there’s no point in my sticking around.

Sekai Seifuku: Bouryaku no Zvezda (World Conquest: Zvezda Plot)

This is an interesting little show.  There is a dark undercurrent beneath all that absurd evil organisation shtick that intrigues me.  From the glimpse of the ruin our loli overlord reign will bring, to the fact martial law is already considering normal in this world, there is a truly interesting setting here with lots of potential for intrigue.  Ridiculous costumes and names aside I like the depiction of the evil organisation in Sekai Seifuku – they are a colourful bunch of characters who all seem to have their own reasons for joining, like our young runaway Asuta who just needs a place to belong.  Plus I think we have a new Kiraboshi~! style salute going on here!

The production is eyecatching with lots of crazy looking costume designs and bright colours – it is cartoony but there’s still a sense of grim reality under all the gloss.  Acting is pretty good as is the sound design.  I’m definitely interested in watching more of Sekai Seifuku.

Z/X Ignition: Zillions of Enemy X

So the new card game show on the block then – feel kind of cheated by the fact each person only gets one card to play though, making Z/X feel more like a Digimon show than YuGiOh.  Basically you have a bunch of teenagers who have somehow made a contract with sentient otherworldly creatures who can either be humanoid or animal based…..and then they fight for some reason.  I don’t know, I wasn’t really paying attention to most of it and ended up playing name the seiyuu for most of the episode (pretty decent cast here).

Z/X isn’t terrible, it does seem to have a plot in mind and effort is put into the elaborate character designs and special attacks.  But it isn’t original by any stretch of the imagination.  I’ve sat though much worse shows, but can’t be bothered with this one at the moment. Dropped.