Halubaris Maphotika Posted October 11, 2015 Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 Welcome one and all to my blog here on YCM! I love Anime and I enjoy reviewing it to, but reviewing anime is a common thing all over so I wanted to do something slightly different! Since Harem Animes don't exactly have their own review categories, I am going to take the reigns to review Animes of one of my favorite genres! I rate my Animes on a star score system similar to the one by Famed critic Roger Ebert. This is a rating of 1-4 Stars, with .5s being used as well.1 Star-It was so bad I could not bring myself to finish it.1.5 Stars-Horrible but there were moments where it caught me off guard.2 Stars-Pretty bad, but it has a shred of potential.2.5 Stars-Could have been a lot better.3 Stars-Not bad, not bad at all.3.5 Stars-Riveting, exciting entertainment.4 Stars-Excellence in, and of, itself. I do not apply these scores within the broad scope of all anime, but merely within the Harem genre itself as this is a blog mostly for fans of the genre. So without further ado! Welcome to Halu's Hall of Harems! I hope you all enjoy this as much as I enjoy making it! I am currently working on my first review already and should have it up later today! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aix Posted October 11, 2015 Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 >Harem>ExcellencePfffffft :P What sort of criteria do you look for? It would be good to make that clear. Well, I look forwards to this, it's something different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebuchet MS Posted October 11, 2015 Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 Oh sweet, I can't wait for the eventual riffing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halubaris Maphotika Posted October 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 HALU'S REVIEWS! INFINITE STRATOS SEASON 1! [spoiler=Opening] [spoiler=Plot Synopsis (Courtesy of Wikipedia.org)]In the near future, a Japanese scientist engineers a powered exoskeleton called "Infinite Stratos" (IS). Possessing technology and combat capabilities surpassing those of any other arms system, the IS threatens to destabilize the world. Faced with such an overpowered weapon, the nations of the world enact the "Alaska Treaty", which states that IS shall never be used for militant combat, and that existing IS technology must be equally distributed to all nations, to prevent any one nation from dominating the others. The introduction of the IS does, however, have a major effect on society. As IS can only be operated by women, there is a shift in the power balance between men and women, where women now dominate society over men. Ten years after the IS was initially introduced, the world has entered a new age of peace. The peace is shattered, however, by Ichika Orimura, a 15-year-old Japanese boy. In a coincidental run-in with a (hibernating) IS suit, it is revealed that he possesses the innate ability to operate an IS. Realizing the potential, the Japanese government forces the bewildered young man to attend the prestigious Infinite Stratos Academy, a multicultural academy where IS pilots from all over the world are trained. Thus, he starts a busy high school life surrounded by girls training to pilot IS. [spoiler=Review]Infinite Stratos was one of the early starters of the Harem Light Novel boom in the late 2000s, Infinite Stratos has earned a large following due to its quirky characters, excellent 2D and 3D animation, and beautiful environments. Infinite Stratos boasts some of the most top-notch animation by studio 8-Bit, who are well-versed in the Mecha genre. One of my personal favorite aspects of the show itself is its intricate descriptions into IS technology, and the politics revolving around a school dedicated to teaching prospective competitors how to use them without interference from outside governments. Being a neutral party, the school undergoes heavy pressure from countries everywhere and there are many instances where this is shown. Our protagonist Ichika Orimura is hearty, moralistic to a fault, and extremely dedicated to his friends and the people around him. Despite being the only male to pilot an IS, he doesn't buckle too hard under the pressure. It isn't completely explained in the first season why exactly he happens to be the only male able to pilot an IS, but that ambiguity makes it all the more interesting. Ichika has his faults, he tends to over think situations, become easily distracted by things that bother him, and his ability with the IS is still in its early stages. Now let's cover our heroins! Houki Shinonono is definitely the top-girl in the bunch. Hailing from Japan; Houki is extremely talented with an IS, and is shown to be physically fit and well disciplined in Kendo. Despite this, she suffers heavy faults. She is extremely judgmental, not willing to investigate a situation too much in favor of jumping head first. She is also ignorant of circumstances that can lead to her loss in battle, too quick to assume. One of the biggest sub-plots of the anime revolves around Houki's hatred for her sister, a familial bond destroyed by her sisters love of science, and Houki's love for Ichika. Cecilia Alcott is from the United Kingdom and is, arguably, one of the most talented of the group of Heroins. She is refined, smart, and well brought up in the politics of the IS and the culture it has created. Despite this, she is extremely self-centered, ignorant of life outside of her personal bubble, and is romantically inept. Cecilia employs some of the best comic-relief of the group and I always find myself enjoying her antics when it comes to understanding the life of the every man. Huang Lingyin is from China, and, like Houki, has had an early past with Ichika. Huang is nimble, resilient, and wise when it comes to solving a problem. However, she can be childlike at times and has issues getting certain points across in discussions. She can be an absolute joy to watch, and I enjoy watching her match with Ichika out of all the matches in the season, as it definitely shows those two have a high synchronicity with each other. Charlotte Dunois is from France and is my personal endorsement for Ichika. She is very mild-mannered, and can be sensitive when it comes to her feelings. Nevertheless her fighting and IS skills are impeccable and I love her bright personality. For half of the season, she masquerades as a boy to get to know Ichika as a French spy, and her disconnect from her family in France is repeatedly brought up. Alienation is a common theme in Infinite Stratos, dealing with the isolation of being a representative of your country, with the world watching, away from your own family and friends. Laura Bodewig is from Germany and originally started off as an antagonist. She was originally taught by Ichika's older sister, and blames Ichika for causing his sister to leave the 2nd Mondo Grosso. Her yellow eye gives her certain powers related to nano technology, although it seems it malfunctions a lot. Infinite Stratos is one of the best Animes to come out of the 2nd Harem Renaissance, and was one of the kick-starters of the movement in the beginning. Along with High School DxD, IS changed the dynamic from adapting Harem's from Mangas, to adapting them from Light Novels, which future writers would eventually follow. It boasts gorgeous animation, funny and interesting characters, and in depth looks into alienation, country politics in international sports, and terrorism; with the mysterious Phantom Task organization becoming a focal antagonist in the show. My final rating is 3.5/4 Stars! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebuchet MS Posted October 11, 2015 Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 >Now let's cover our heroins!Don't take the joke bait don't take the joke bait I wouldn't put IS at one of my best, but then again, I haven't actually seen what happens to these rankings if I change my scope exclusively to the harem genre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halubaris Maphotika Posted October 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 >Now let's cover our heroins!Don't take the joke bait don't take the joke bait I wouldn't put IS at one of my best, but then again, I haven't actually seen what happens to these rankings if I change my scope exclusively to the harem genre.I would still give it a 2.5 out of 4 Also I edited the score. I meant 3.5 out of 4. Not 4.5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mitchermitcher Posted October 11, 2015 Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 Charlotte's my favorite of the heroines, she's pretty cute. Cecilia's also pretty cute her doujins are great and that's about all I know about IS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebuchet MS Posted October 11, 2015 Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 Now that I think about it, will practically every VN adaptation in existence be free game for this blog too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halubaris Maphotika Posted October 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 Now that I think about it, will practically every VN adaptation in existence be free game for this blog too?Depends if the VN adaptation in question was a Harem or not. If so, then yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebuchet MS Posted October 11, 2015 Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 Depends if the VN adaptation in question was a Harem or not. If so, then yes.Oh, that's right. Despite the whole premise of eroge being harem, not all VNs are eroge, and not all VNs are harems. Steins;Gate, Robotics;Notes, and Little Busters come to mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mitchermitcher Posted October 11, 2015 Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 Not all eroge are harem either. But oh yes, I look forward to OP covering Amagami. That one was pretty good as far as VN adaptations are concerned. Technically it might not count as a harem cuz of the resets though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halubaris Maphotika Posted October 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 Not all eroge are harem either. But oh yes, I look forward to OP covering Amagami. That one was pretty good as far as VN adaptations are concerned. Technically it might not count as a harem cuz of the resets though.Amagami is a must. Period. I am covering that after I cover IS Season 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ÆƵ– Posted October 11, 2015 Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 K but what about Shuffle! ? Also do reverse harems be reviewable by this blog, or is that a no-no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tourmaline Posted October 11, 2015 Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 Bakemonogatari is a must if you want a good harem. The only harem actually well-made worth any intellectual consideration (and much at that). Try it anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a bad post Posted October 13, 2015 Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 K but what about Shuffle! ? Also do reverse harems be reviewable by this blog, or is that a no-no?If you do reverse harems please do Diabolik Lovers, I'll be so happy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halubaris Maphotika Posted October 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 If you do reverse harems please do Diabolik Lovers, I'll be so happyThe only reverse harem on my list right now is Neo Angelique but I will add that becuz wynaut Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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