For now,
here’s a list of my 3 favorite 2012 anime series.
Girls
und Panzer
The first
episode was far from impressive and I was tempted to drop the series if it wasn’t
for the amount of praise this series got, but wow, I’m glad I stuck with it.
I’m
surprised with how well everything was executed afterwards. Action scenes are well choreographed,
fantastically well-paced and clever. There’s never any bullshit deus ex machina;
every battle is played out with intellectual strategies. And the production values are stellar.
Unfortunately, the characters were only a step above a sack of potatoes, but overall, I had
fun.
My
Little Monster
I
really
liked this series, ok? I know many people didn’t, but the series really
tickled
my fancy. I always get a kick out of watching a romantic comedy between
two highschool
students with societal problems. Here, the female lead is an anti-social
recluse and the male lead is a selfish dope who lacks self-awareness and
shifts mood from being innocent to overly violent at the drop of a hat.
Yes, I really
quite liked the whole cast and I really dug the chemistry between the couple.
People don’t like Haru because, sure, he’s the epitome of a douchebag. But I
liked him for that. The series never presents him as a shining knight in armor.
The series presents him as he is, a douche, and I liked how his personality bounced of off Shizuku's laid back personality. And yes,
I know the series dabbles around lot and a pay-off is void, but I found it to
be a fun experience.
Hyouka
One of
the greatest slice of life series there is and even more astonishing that Kyoto
Animation was behind this. Some people found this series, especially the
beginning, to drag, but I never found it too slow. I loved its pacing and
I found every moment of the series immersive.
Also, Kyoto
Animation actually utilizes its big budget very well with creative visual
tricks that expound on the emotional moments rather than detract. There’s attention to detail and the
animation adds a lot of soothing grace to the experience. The characters are
also your stereotypical KyoAni archetypes, but they’re fleshed out very well,
relatable and the chemistry is both endearing and heartfelt.
Hyouka
is KyoAni’s best series to date, turning its usual tropes in the right
direction and shaping it into something beautiful.
