Back to reviewing anime and we have a good one in A Certain Scientific Railgun.
Academy City is a student run city packed to the brim with Espers, a group of gifted humans with psychic abilities but inevitably with a city packed full of this kind of power is constantly full of crime. Thankfully a crime busting group called Judgement is on hand to stop Academy City's crime problem with officer Kuroko Shirai on the case whose best friend and love interest is an especially powerful esper able to control electricity at high levels named Mikoto Misaka, better known by reputation as Railgun. Together with allies Kazari Uiharu and Ruiko Saten among others, the girls attempt to solve the ever growing mysteries that keep popping up in Academy City, especially when Dr Harumi Kiyama starts making an appearance.
This series is a spinoff of another series named "A Certain Magical Index" set in the same universe and some of their characters even turn up in Railgun. Where this series stands is before and during the events of Magical Index so you won't feel too confused if you watch this before Index as this probably sets things up better.
The show itself is very good, it showcases it's morals in the correct way, the action while a little limited is awesome to watch, the payoff in the last few episodes of season one is worth it and it's not always obvious what's going to happen which keeps things unpredictable, however there is a lot of filler to stomach in-between major plot moments which aren't all bad but can disrupt the flow of the story especially when all the characters are doing is messing about, so you can probably cut out 5-6 Episodes and still have a full story.
Also while I generally enjoy the majority of the cast such as anti hero Harumi Kiyama and main character Mikoto Misaka, I absolutely despise Kuroko Shirai for being a patronizing bitch, made even more so by her dub performance. Yeah Kuroko rubs me the wrong way, guess I'm not a fan of the "I work for the law so that gives me the right to be a preachy pretentious bitch" Type. I don't much like Uiharu either as she reminds me too much of Miracle Rookie Yoshika Miyafuji from Strike Witches.
The dub is reasonable but some performances can make the characters seem off in personality.
There's much more of the series to go so I'm open to watching season two and watching Magical Index; if Railgun entertained you then Index should be more of the same.
Final Verdict: The anime is good and knows how to keep you thinking and well entertained but a couple of characters will test your tolerance and the series could probably be 5-6 episodes shorter but what it keeps is very good.
So same thing I did on the previous list only there are far less cartoons, same rules as before, the list has no order to it and all these shows premiered in 2015 so sit back relax and enjoy the list.
Miraculous Ladybug
An intriguing look at a French made Magical Girl series co wrote by South Korean and Japanese companies. It may look like another attempt to try and use anime style shows in Western Cartoons but this show is certainly original in plot and design and is worth a watch.
The Clangers
A British stop motion show about pink moon mice who communicate through whistles. The original show aired over 40 years ago but this updated version uses the exact same stop motion animation but runs a lot smoother. You see it is possible to reboot a show and not change anything bar the voice acting.
Danger Mouse
And Danger Mouse did exactly the same thing in it's reboot, no CGI nonsense just a secret agent mouse with all the best comedy writing you can offer a show and just run with it. British Cartoons at it's best.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Marvel cartoons have been a bit lacking in impact lately and Guardians of the Galaxy is made for cartoons and well welcomed into Disney's growing library.
Harvey Beaks
Harvey Beaks is a reminder that Nickelodeon hasn't completely lost the plot yet, from the creators of Chowder if the character designs and humor isn't completely obvious, Harvey Beaks is starting to restore some trust back in Nickelodeon.
Star vs the Forces of Evil
It sucks that Gravity Falls has been cancelled but with this Magical Girl spoof in it's place, I'm not too worried about Disney's future in 2D animation. Funny and very clever about it's morals, Star will certainly make Disney shine again.
The Lion Guard
I'm cheating a bit as this is a pre-school show but as someone who watched the Lion King back in 1995, I welcome the Lion King world back onto Disney screens. Badly needed to balance out Disney's range that lately looks to be just Star Wars, Marvel and Disney Princess starring Frozen.
Moonbeam City
This is kinda what I imagined Regular Show being like if it were just 80s jokes. The show scratches the nostalgia trip I enjoy so much and I hope it becomes more mainstream to give older shows like Simpsons a reminder that it can be replaced.
Be Cool Scooby Doo
I didn't think this would work, the designs looked like a Family Guy sketch and it was going to be more geared towards crazy fun over serious plots. You know what after so many reboots of this, this being the 12th one, I actually kind of like it. I think it's hit it's last possible reboot, "Making Fun of Yourself" which is all it can do and it works surprisingly well, much like Pup Named Scooby Doo did in the late 80s.
We Bare Bears
At this point Cartoon Network is heading for a sorry state. Adventure Time and Regular Show will probably end soon and it's current shows, well except for Amazing World of Gumball and possibly Steven Universe aren't enough for the channel to live on. Thankfully We Bare Bears fills the gap quite nicely and manages to spoof today's culture without it being forced, and it even has some very emotional moments, which is surprising for a show of it's kind.
Now this list will prove today that I can appreciate today's anime as well as the classics, the point of this is to showcase what I consider to be really good shows that came out in 2015 or have continued new seasons in the case of some, this will prove that despite being 30 years old later this year I can still appreciate the new stuff. The obvious criteria is that they must've been released in 2015, there isn't an order in this list either. Without further delay lets begin.
Nisekoi
This was the series I reviewed last time out and is the best choice available for Romantic Comedy, even if the formula is tried and tested it's a well polished and well made anime.
High School DxD
If you want ecchi done with a good story you can't go wrong with High School DxD, a sexy adventure that enlightens all the senses while taking away the cliches that plague the genre. You'll be pleased to watch this anime for the story.
Durarara!!!
If you want a story that's challenging to work out then look no further than the street anime Durarara, Ikebukuro has never been so fun and rewarding.
Assassination Classroom
If you want your fix of violence then take a look at Assassination Classroom, an original idea that keeps the Shonen Jump crowd feeling fresh.
Kantai Collection
Miss Strike Witches and want something to fill the void? Look no further than Kantai Collection the Warship Strike Witches. Battleships have never looked so Kawaii
Wish Upon the Pleiades
Watch as car maker Subaru makes a better Magical Girl anime than Sailor Moon Crystal. Car makers keep watching.
Uta no Prince-Sama
Love Live with Pretty Boys, which is fresh and new and surprisingly good unlike Love Live.
Ore Monogatari
The sweetest most rewarding love story you'll ever see not just in anime but in literature.
God Eater
A relatively young yet awesome video game franchise looking for more love and anime is the way forward.
Kuroko's Basketball
Okay fine, if you want a good sports anime you can't go wrong with Kuroko's Basketball, it's the only one on this list I don't like but compared to it's other counterparts it's the best your going to get.
The Rolling Girls
Want a light hearted coming of age story? Have a go at Rolling Girls, it's intelligence and story telling will serve you well.
One Punch Man
Rewriting the Shonen Genre one punch at a time. One Punch Man is the best Shonen Series since Dragonballz who ironically is the competition but our bald hero is more than just pure strength. Give it a watch you won't regret it.
Valkyrie Drive
Somehow MOE weapon girls is a thing and yeah it works and Valkyrie Drive is your one stop place for it.
Mysterious Joker
If you want a show with a classic feel for the modern age then look no further than Mysterious Joker, a good old fashioned Phantom Thief story.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans
Miss the Gundam of old where it was full of war, death and depression? Iron Blooded Orphans brings you full circle after Gundam's weird obsession with fighting Model Kits.
Cute High Earth Defense Club Love!
Miss Ouran Host Club? Then go take a look at this Magical Boy series where Fabulous Secret Powers actually mean something.
Brave Beats
The strangest anime you'll watch this year but proving Disco isn't dead and you can turn it into a Maho Anime, give Brave Beats a watch.
Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma
It's Food Porn........literally. Trust me when I say this, the first episode will have you wanting to cook in seconds.
Go Princess Precure
The latest incarnation of Precure comes with dresses so pimped out that a Disney Princess would call them gaudy. While the nature of Precure is always to switch to a new team every season, get yourself motivated for the next installment with the current one.
Snow White with the Red Hair
If you enjoyed the Atelier game series then Snow White with the Red Hair should satisfy your appetite in the Fantasy genre.
Now for an anime from the category of romantic comedy, it's Nisekoi.
Raku Ichijo made a promise when he was a child to a certain girl that when they meet again they'll be married and still keeps the over sized locket in the hopes that he may one day see her again, however in high school his love life is rather complicated so try and keep up.
First the characters
Raku Ichijo: Is the eldest son of a Yakuza Family he likes a girl named Kosaki Onodera but is forced into a false relationship with Chitoge Kirisaki in order to avoid his family and her gangster family going to war. He's also on the receiving end of a one sided relationship with the police commissioners daughter Marika Tachibana.
Kosaki Onodera: Likes Raku but is too shy to confess her love to him, she holds a key that could potentially open the locket.
Chitoge Kirisaki: Forced to play the girlfriend of Raku's due to the potential family war and is clearly a tsundere about it. Also has a key that could potentially fit the locket.
Marika Tachibana: Actually remembers Raku as a kid and is his self proclaimed fiancee, also has a key to the Locket.
Seishiro Tsugumi, Haru Onodera and Paula McCoy: Get dragged into the harem somehow.
Yui Kanakura: A young teacher of whom is Raku's childhood friend. Also has a key to the locket.
Other Characters: Not important.
So yeah this love, whatever you call it is very convoluted but hold on a minute.....Childhood promise, lead female is a tsundere, other female characters are a shy girl, violent masculine type, hyperactive girl, sickly girl who actually loves the lead male, big sister type, brat; lead male is pretty clueless about everything and ends up in weird situations, will probably end up with tsundere anyway.
THIS IS LOVE HINA!!!!
A better written Love Hina but Love Hina none the less, and it only becomes more blatant when you get Hot Spring Episodes, Beach Episodes and even a Theater Play. That is classic Ken Akamatsu but unlike Akamatsu's works, fan service is downplayed, the romance is believable, the situation while done before sets up the story perfectly and the comedy timing is done to perfection, every facial expression is funny and the comic timing always hits the mark.
My only complaint is that it's a lot longer than it needs to be and that the harem gets too crowded late in the series, otherwise this is a good series. No dub that I know of so I can't rate it but would be done okay in dub.
Final Verdict: While it borrows pretty much it's entire plot and setup it does a much better job of it than they did. Nisekoi is hilarious, the story is well structured and I only hope for a decent payoff at the end. It does get a bit crowded later on but shouldn't damage the story too much.
Happy New Year everybody, now lets start the year by talking about snails. This is the Film Turbo.
Theo is a garden snail who dreams of speed and hopes to be like his idol, 5 Time Indy 500 Champion Guy Gagne, but his obsession has made him an outcast and his brother Chet has to pick up the tab for his misfortunes. But after a near fatal accident with a prize tomato, Theo runs away to be alone but another incident throws him through the nitrous of a dragster giving him the powers of super speed. After another bout of misfortune involving a kid on a trike, Theo and Chet get thrown out of their garden and end up in the run down strip mall of Starlight Plaza where they are captured by Taco worker Tito who brings Theo into the world of Snail Racing; amazed by his speed and encouraged by a gang of racing snails, Tito enters Theo into the Indy 500 to live out his dream.
Now this looks like an idea that would never work but it really isn't that bad. It's very cheesy but like films such as the Brave Little Toaster it takes an idea that has nothing working for it and somehow makes it work.
It does help that the characters are likable, the jokes hit their mark quite well and there's no bad cliches, it's just a film about a really fast snail.
Really Turbo is one of those films that hits the mark as a cult classic film, it's not overly groundbreaking but it doesn't need to be, it tells its story and that's all you need. If you want something more complicated then don't bother with this film, if you're only looking for fun then give this film a shot, you won't regret it.
