I’m feeling a bit lazy about this so I’m combining everything else in the past season that I haven’t reviewed yet.
Aquarion EVOL
Besides Fate/Zero, EVOL probably had the best ending out of everything that ended last season. IT also had the best last few episodes. Everything was so overblown, dramatic, yet weirdly fun at the same time. The series does not know the word “subtlety” and each interaction from the characters are always full of emotion. This series was both sexually charged and heartfelt at the same time and I have no idea how that even worked. The middle episodes of EVOL may have been a bit dragging but I’m gonna be a bit kind since the ending was really awesome.
Execution: 33/40 (Middle episodes were kinda. . .)
Engagement: 26/30 (Ending was really fun)
Characters: 16.5/20 (Ugh @ Zessikage)
Production Values: 9.5/10 (Amazing Soundtack)
Overall: 85/100 ( B- )
Sankarea
I honestly expected this show to be terrible. It was a recipe for disaster: an short unfisnished manga, a terrible studio, a terrible premise that screamed OTAKU BAIT. Astonishingly, the first few episodes were pretty damn fine. There was actually a STORY and the characters were actually pretty engaging and leaving their supposed stereotypes. Rea in particular really had a solid character development, IMHO. Apparently, Studio DEEN decided to hire a bunch of geniuses (SHAFT worker, script writer for Baccano/Durarara, Toradora/Penguindrum Composer) for this which explains why every aspect of the series exceeded my expectations.
It’s too bad though that this series didn’t get a proper conclusion. In addition to that, the stink of the manga which was heavily covered up in the first episodes, started showing. It’s also when I realized that there’s only a few characters that I actually give a damn about. Still I was pleasantly surprised with what went on in this series so I’m gonna be positive in grading this.
Execution: 36/40 (DEEN hired geniuses for this)
Engagement: 24/30 (I didn’t like it as much when the original material started stinking)
Characters: 14.5/20 (I like the main couple but I really don’t like WANKO)
Production Values: 9.5/10 (DEEN finally decided to look nice)
Overall: 84/100 (B-)
Jormungand
In preparation fro Jormungand, I watched Black Laggon and that show was just pure badassery. In the end Jormungand ended up the same albeit with a bit of nuances.
Jormungand is about KOKOLOCO and her arms dealer group doing some KOKOLOCO stuff. Each episode is exciting since all the characters keep on being badass. The story is sometimes hard to follow but the energy of the series really makes up for it. If there’s anything else to say though, I definitely prefer Black Lagoon over this a bit since Rock and Levy are just a tad bit more developed as characters than Koko an co. But still Koko is awesome so it’s not really a complaint.
I can’t seem to formulate anything to say for Jormungand. It’s definitely a series that’s so much more fun watching than writing about.
Execution: 32/40 (A bit hard to follow sometimes)
Engagement: 28/30 (Full of energy)
Characters: 16/20 (KOKOLOCO)
Production Values: 8/10 (Good enough for awesome action)
Overall: 84/100 (B-)
Mouretsu Pirates
It’s Pirates! In space! You’d expect Mouretsu Pirates to be exciting, overblown and full of blasting explosions but this series ended up being very grounded. There’s a number of people that gave up on this series because it was too slow but once it got going, it really got going.
This series doesn’t look down on your intelligence and in a way it expects you to follow the story without baby feeding you with all the information needed. I kinda like that aspect of the series. It’s not bad storytelling at all because it’s easy to follow the series if you pay attention.
The series consists of 4-5 arcs with different focuses. The arc that really made me fall in love with the series is the Gruier Serenity arc with the theme of “A princess finding her origins” kinda thing. I also loved it when Marika’s schoolmates ended up become her crew for like 1/4 of the series. It’s like We’re GAR pirates but we eat cake and shit inside. The last arc was the best though and it showed us what an action packed Mouretsu Pirates can be like.
I definitely enjoyed this series. It’s much better to watch this marathon-style because of the pacing.
Execution: 36/40 (Does not baby feed you)
Engagement: 26/30 (Really fun once you get used to the atmosphere)
Characters: 17/20 (Lots of time for development due to the slow pacing)
Production Values: 8/10 (Good enough to tell a solid story)
Overall: 87/100 (B)
Tsuritama
The other noitaminA series this year, I just have to say. . . I did not like this show. I’ve heard praises on how whimsical and relaxing Tsuritama is but I couldn’t see it. All I saw was baww forced dorama with really angsty male teenagers.
Now don’t get me wrong I don’t hate angst (I don’t hate Shinji) but with Tsuritama, I don’t even like the characters for me to sympathize with their boohoohoo problems. I honestly liked this show for the first few episodes until it started tackling its lol plot. Haru was my least favorite character of the four mains but he especially got annoying towards the end.
And oh my god that ending. It felt like the Brady Bunch with oohh the whole cast comes together and helps save Enoshima from aliens. BUT WAIT- one of them dies with some random explosion somewhere but that’s just a cliffhanger. He ends up safe anyway but whatever. Then woopdeedoo they save the world through fishing!
There’s obviously some good parts but this another Nakamura Kenji failure for me. If [C] had characters with non-existent personalities, Tsuritama had a terrible plot and overly emotional characters. I mean Tsuritama was supposed to correct [C]’s mistakes but it ends up overdoing the correcting.
Well there’s always Tapioca.
Execution: 32/30 (Nothing horribly bad except for the ending)
Engagement: 22/30 (Dwindled towards the end)
Characters: 14/20 (Angsty in a bad way)
Production Values: 9/10 (Admittedly creative)
Overall: 77/100 (C)
Traveler on Revenge 
I definitely felt similar things as you while watching Tsuritama. It was at its best during the more slice of life moments, but as soon as it ventured into character melodrama and lol save the world plot, the writing just went to the dumps. Cliffhangers, explosions and outsmarting men in rubber duck suits does not make a series better. Oh well, maybe Nakamura’s next show will be better, but at least they’re pretty to look at.
Pirates on the other hand was a good watch. A few slow moments here and there but the show was very well thought out and it handled Marika’s development quite nicely.
Nakamura Kenji definitely makes an effort to make all his series unique. I just wish there’s some more effort with developing the characters (which was what Tsuritama was supposed to be especially after something as soulless as [C]) but then again, I haven’t watched Mononoke or Kuuchuu Buranko.
I feel like there are some anime made for marathoning and Pirates definitely belongs to that list. The events of the series happens so slow but it really works in fleshing out pinpoint characters like Marika herself. But sometimes it is TOO slow which is the exact reason I didn’t watch it weekly.