Winter Anime Season 2011/12

At the moment, it looks like only Another will be one to watch. Probably won't make the effort to watch Black Rock Shooter despite it being Noitamina.
 
As with Guilty Crown, I can easily see where it fits in with the "action" side of their offerings from this year, not to mention the direct links with GC. I think noitaminA means something considerably different now to what it did a couple of years ago, certainly in part if not in whole.
 
Thoughts so far:

Baby, Please Kill Me: The first episode suffers from the same problem as Nichijou, it drags and uses the same unfunny jokes over and over again.

While I shouldn't expect these characters to have depth, all three have these random traits that try to get a laugh out on me but doesn't succeed at all.

Again I wish anime companies would take the same approach as Cromartie High School and lessen the run-time so they can make these jokes work but so far Baby, Please Kill Me does nothing for me.

Oh and both the OP and ED are awful.

Amagami SS+ - I enjoyed the first season of Amagami SS but i was wondering how this could get a sequel, at first I though there would be new female character routes or something but I finally find out it's a continuation of the routes from the first season.

So I was a tad worried that the sequel would become stale, very fast, but the first episode that focuses on Tsukasa, was very entertaining.

It does a good job of getting the characters in a situation that they are determined to get through then thrown some drama into the fray.

Tsukasa first season arc was one of the best and this continuation looks like it will continue that.

I just wonder if the sequel can make improvements on the weak ones from the last season (Ai and Sae's routes)

Nisemonogatari - After a two long season break by SHAFT, they return with with the longly anticipated sequel to Bakemono.

Again I am entertained with the smart, entertaining dialogue and Shinbou's art direction. The return of Senjougahara, Araragi and Hachikuji put a smile on my face, very glad to see them back.

The humor is well timed and the amount of enjoyment I got from this episode was immense.

While I have to agree that there is no sign of the plot so far, I'm very happy with this first episode, welcome back SHAFT.

Highschool DxD - It's pretty much rides on it's generic harem, action, ecchi tropes that we see in anime ever season.

The main character is a preverted idiot, the twist in the middle of the episode I saw coming by a mile and boooooooooobs.

I can't really say anything else, many people I know have dropped this, I will do the same
 
I thought Kill Me Baby was a good bit better than Nichijou, but I have come to like Tamura Mutsumi (who plays Sonya) over the last year or so. I agree it wouldn't hurt if it was half-length episodes, but you could just watch it in two 12 minute sessions on different days? Does seem to be something where you have to take to the core gag of each character to get on well with it, though.

Symphogear features overly generic bad guys, but other than that I thought the first episode showed promise. It was certainly spectacular enough.

The two 3 minute shows (RikoRan and High Score) have both raised a couple of giggles from me, which is enough for such low commitment.

Milky Holmes looks like more Milky Holmes, which is fine but hardly engrossing. It shall remain a "background" show, for me.

DxD seems to be terrible, but I will give it one more episode to see if anything actually happens.

I am putting off Nisemono until I feel like my body is ready.
 
Daily Lives of High School Boys -

What I expected: A boring Slice-Of-Life anime, that would put me off SOL boy comedies much like Kimi to Boku did.

What I got: A contender for the best opening episode alongside Nisemono, it's comical punchlines are spot on, the characters along with the other side characters show great chemistry and it never bored me. Very much recommended.

Mouretsu Pirates -

Pirate jokes aside this was a great opening episode for this series, I loved the attention to detail to everything in this world and the plot set up is interesting enough for me to continue.

Another -

I'm a tad unsure what to say about this episode, all I can say is that it's "creepy"

You can certainly feel this with the dark and faint colours of the backgrounds. I'm grateful that the mystery of these characters aren't revealed just yet, which should make for some tense episodes.

Zero no Tsukaima F -

Considering I haven't watched all three Zero no Tsukaima seasons for a while, I felt myself enjoying this episode, even if Saito and Louis rambling haven't changed.

Thats it really, I still have a soft spot for the series and i'm happy that it's getting a proper ending.

No Girls, I am your Father- NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Listen to Me, Girls, I'm Your Father! - It has a decent first episode but went for the typical fan-service.

This is the same studio that gave me Mayo Chiki so I expect a few alright episodes as well as generic ones. That title somehow reminds me of Star Wars
 
Amagami SS+ easily slips back into the flow of the best-in-genre first series. Opening scene was too much, the way Jun'ichi had all the photo shoot stuff setup was too much. Only thing is... are they going to completely reverse the order?! No Morishima-sempai until March?! ;_;

Area no Kishi... oh God, the ragesex BroCon doujinshi. D: Although the Suguru x Nana NTR doujinshi... anyway, this series seems like an OK soccer stop-gap between seasons of Giant Killing (hopefully). Characters seem cheery and likable enough, at least.
 
I'll set up my list on my first impressions.

Awesome:
Nisemonogatari
Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou
Mouretsu Pirates

Good:
Another
Inu x Boku SS
Zero no Tsukaima F
Thermae Romae
Area no Kishi

Meh:
Amagami SS+
New Prince of Tennis
Papa no Iukoto wo Kikinasai
Senki Zesshou Symphogear

Poor:
Kill Me Baby
Highschool DxD
 
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