Two more first episodes down, but unfortunately I’m not much more excited for the new shows this season than I was before. Miracle Train isn’t quite the comedy I had figured it would be, but it’ll probably sell to fangirls like pocky to con-goers. Nyan Koi on the other hand could have some potential if you’re really looking for rom-com/possible harem show.
Miracle Train – Welcome to the Oedo Line
Characters: Chinatsu, the protagonist for this episode (sounds like they might have a girl-with-a-problem of the week) loses track of her dog at Roppongi Station and happens to board the Miracle Train. There the human incarnations of six stations greet her and attempt to solve her problem. Shinjuku fits the place to a T, full of himself and trying to be suave. Roppongi is rather calmer than I expected given my experiences with that part of the city. I was expecting him to be the playboy/party animal trying to hit on Chinatsu. Ryogoku talks about the Tokyo-Edo Museum being in his area but that’s about it. Tocho, being the terminus of the Oedo Line, is the leader that tries to act cool but hates to lose or disobey the train rules. Shiodome is there to appeal to another fangirl niche, the youngest and most effiminate station-character. Then Tsukishima seems to be really into fishing. There’s also the train conductor with the Commander Kreuze look-alike mask and the moe-sidekick Akari.
Quick Recap: Chinatsu finds her way onto the Miracle Train where the train-characters say they are there to serve her and solve whatever is troubling her. Apparently being a girl in distress is the only way to board. They then go from station to station looking for her lost dog, talking a little in between. Roppongi finds out that Chinatsu’s dog is all she has, not having family or friends. In the end the y find the dog in Roppongi station and go their separate ways.
Animation/design: Very bishonen, calculated to appeal to every kind of female viewer. Despite the show having the director of Honey and Clover on board (pun intended), I didn’t see anything like the artistic ‘camera’ angles, uses of music, or other touches seen in H&C. Though a huddle-discussion scene had a neat rapidly moving change to each character’s face as they talked.
Potential: The show isn’t badly done for what it is (Weiss Kreuz-esque female fanservice), but I was expecting the Hetalia of Tokyo train stations so the lack of significant comedy disappointed me greatly. Seems like every week some girl will board the train with a problem, you’ll find out about whatever is causing her despair, and then the train station-characters will solve it, with a few jokes and yaoi innuendo along the way.
Bottom Line: If you’re looking for bishonen to squee over and/or are a fujoshi then this is the show for you. If you’re looking for comedy, go elsewhere. Personally, I’ll give it one more shot to deliver on the comedy, and if it doesn’t then I’m dropping it.
Just for Fun: blush count: 6.
Nyan Koi
Characters: Kousaka, the male lead, dislikes and is allergic to cats, but lives with a family who loves them. His love interest Mizuno also loves cats, though she can’t have one herself due to her family’s dogs. But one Kousaka accidentally knocks the head off of a small shrine statue of a cat, allowing him to hear the thoughts of cats but condemning him to carrying out 100 good deeds for cats or else turn into a cat and suffocate from his allergies. Mizuno loves cats so much that she lures and pets the local strays, and is also oddly enough a big Yakuza novel fan.
Quick Recap: Kousaka wakes up from a dream about his crush Mizuno to find his family’s cat in his room, causing him to sneeze. But then he can hear it speaking to him somehow. After freaking out about being able to hear and talk to cats he retraces his steps to the shrine where he knocked over a cat statue. After hearing from the enthusiastic monk, his family cat, and the temple cat he figures out the nature of the curse put upon him. Trying to ignore it, he finds himself turning into a cat and unable to breathe until he agrees to help. He’s told about a vicious human luring and trapping cats in the neighborhood, but pays it no mind. Then, on the way back from a shopping trip he runs into Mizuno and finds out that she’s the one luring in cats and then hugging them to neurosis. Trying to be delicate he tells Mizuno to let the cats go, but when that doesn’t work his house cat and the temple cat force him to yell at Mizuno by attempting to trigger his allergies. Luckily for him Mizuno doesn’t take it to heart. 99 good deeds now remain.
Animation/design: Nice animation and pretty good character design. Nothing amazing, but it’s well done.
Potential: This will probably go either the rom-com or harem route. Possibly the latter given the fanservice shots of the female characters in the OP. Didn’t hook me, though I can’t really say there was anything wrong with it per se.
Bottom Line: If you want a harem or harem/rom-com then this might be for you. Definitely beats out Kampfer.
14 Comments
urgh… interested in neither of these…
Another harem, ok. Better than Kampfer, OK!
@ olivia
Yeah. The new series this season aren’t really impressing me too much either, though Seitokai no Ichizon at could be good if they keep the rapid-fire jokes coming. Luckily the sequel series this season should be a much better bunch. Well, except for that Queen’s Blade sequel, but let’s just pretend that never happened.
@ Seinime
If you want a harem or at least harem-lite show (depends where the writers go with it) then I think Nyan Koi might work for you. While Crusader may tell you otherwise, Kampfer was just a little too much in my opinion. Granted you can take my recommendation of Nyan Koi over Kampfer with a grain of salt since I’m not a harem fan generally. I just get a stronger feeling of quality with Nyan Koi.
There has got to be a replacement for sora no hime…
Ah the rub there it is. (i really should stick to boobie jokes)
Anyways maybe Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu Purezza could be nice… maaybe. Oh well hope you stumble upon something nice.
There has got to be a replacement for sora no hime…
Ah the rub there it is. (i really should stick to boobie jokes)
Anyways maybe Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu Purezza could be nice… maaybe. Oh well hope you stumble upon something nice.
There has got to be a replacement for sora no hime…
Ah the rub there it is. (i really should stick to boobie jokes)
Anyways maybe Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu Purezza could be nice… maaybe. Oh well hope you stumble upon something nice.
@ random passing dude
I haven’t seen season one of Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu, so probably not that one. Top non-sequel prospects at the moment are Seitokai no Ichizon, Letter Bee, or Kimi ni Todoke if that turns out as good as it seems. Slight chance of Nyan Koi if the next episode impresses me, if only to engage in ship to ship combat with RabbitPoets. If I go with blogging a sequel it’ll probably be Natsu no Arashi since it needs more love and is SHAFT. Though perhaps I’ll work on some collaborative thing with Crusader or Calawain on InuYasha or Darker Than Black respectively.
I used to like Nogizaka Haruka no himitsu very much, but the last episodes of season 1 were most disappointing. Let’s hope S2 rekindles what I liked about that show – before it fell into shoujo clichés, I especially dislike the whole comedic father / sister / maids, totally detracts from the whole “my secret life as a closet otaku” that was supposed to be the main interest of Haruka’s character (you can’t not find her face in the library as she falls over not cute. /muchlove).
How can you watch Natsu no arashi ? I mean, they did their whole first episode around a freaking strawberry cake.
Nyan Koi has cat Lelouch. It wins already.
The only thing that can be better is if the cat spirit shows up later and is voiced by Wakamoto.
No comment on axis powers traintalia.
Nyan Koi is freakin hilarious. And I was more entertained than I was with Kampfer. Though I thought Kampfer was good too
Impz didn’t last for less than five minutes before he forcibly took the mouse from my hand and replaced Miracle Train with Kampfer on my shweet compuper… he said the show made him lose his sanity… After seeing Kampfer for less than two minutes, I lost my temper… Lesson learned; it’s not good to watch animu with someone who don’t like stupid bishie shows
@ Nemo
But I loved those crazy scenes/episodes where they take some minor little thing and play around with it to absurdity. Like that whole episode centered around time travel and the carton of spoiled milk
@ crixit
If Wakamoto shows up voicing the evil nemesis cat I might have to watch it just for that.
@ Jubbz
Oh Kampfer, it’s so ridiculous I’m almost drawn to keep watching it.
@ 13sugars
Lol. I don’t think there are two shows farther apart on the spectrum so far this season. The bishi/yuri is powerful in these series if it drove you both to take action so quickly. Good to hear from you guys, btw.
kawaii!!!
I never thought I would like Miracle train but once I did watch it was really good, and no it is not a Yaoi rather the complete opposite and the guys job is to serve these girls that wonder on the train. The Nyan-koi one though I have no intrest in and won’t ever (hate cat animes-unless it’s a hot guy with cat ears like”loveless”)