Anime of the Season

Kiseijuu- Semi-apocalyptic story about aliens who take over the heads of people by the larva reaching their brains.  The protagonist manages to stop this with at tourniquet and ends up with a smartass sociopathic talking hand.  The story is brutal and full of despair but surprisingly interesting to watch. 

UBW-  Pretty much 70% of all FSN fans' favorite route from the original game brilliantly turned into an anime by ufotable's able hands.  If you like Fate, a great series to watch.  Anti-fate people need not apply.

Akatsuki no Yona- Story about a spoiled young princess of a barely-civilized Chinese-style nation (basically in transition from tribalism to aristocracy) that gets caught up in a coup.  Standard hero story with her as both protagonist and heroine.  It's an interesting watch, but because the anime is only one season, it doesn't finish anything.

Terra Formars- Basically an apocalyptic horror story of terraforming gone wrong due to cockroaches being cockroaches.  Lots of gore, death, and generally disgusting enemies.

Madan no Ou- There are several things I love about this series (and no it isn't the way the Valkyries' don't care about their own nudity, ecchi).  The first is the realistic approach to the way armies during the feudal era came together.  In this anime, the protagonist doesn't mysteriously manage to raise a massive force from a small domain or BS like that, but basically goes to war with a single aide because his fief is so small.  I say this is realistic because the lowest ranks of nobility during the Dark Ages often only ruled over fifty or sixty people, making armies or even squads of troops impossible to support.  The second is the protagonist being an archer instead of a 'classic' swordsman... it just tickles my fancy since every duke and his baron are a swordsman in series like this.  The third is that it sticks to the classics of the 'humble hero' trope with the protagonist.  He doesn't care about power, only the good of his people, so he is quite happy giving his fief over to someone who will actually protect it if it comes to that.  It's really too bad they never released a second season, considering how much fun I had watching this one.

Inou Battle- Another series that ended before it really got started, it begins as a comedy about characters with seemingly harmless superpowers looking for a purpose for them.  A darker scene behind their everyday lives apparently exists, but the anime ends before it becomes relevant (seriously, what were they thinking?)

World Trigger- Basically a middle-of-the-road quality shounen series in the same vein as Naruto, Bleach and all the rest.  Not really that interesting as these series go, but then the themes involved have been done so many times in so many different forms that there really isn't anything left to cover.

Trinity Seven- This is one of many fantasy based in a modern setting series of a similar type that came out in the years surrounding it.  If I had to compare it to another anime or VN, it would be 11eyes.  It has a similar feeling to it, where a previously ignorant protagonist basically gets tossed into things with no background to understand what is going and somehow manages to thrive.  

Your Lie in April - Sad anime that become quite popular so much that it talked on social media. By the way it's interesting that the author tried to have the heroine dead because of the operation instead of just directly dead from the illness alone. Other than that, well it depend to each of their own when it come to crying anime.

Seven Deadly Sins/Trinity 7 - Both are have Seven Deadly Sins theme, although Trinity 7 MC are more lucky because the Seven Sin manifestation are sexy girls instead of male and female mix in Seven Deadly Sins. Other than that, obviously Seven Deadly Sins art is like classic shonen manga compared to Trinity 7 even though both are shonen manga.a

Fate UBW - While Ufotable did their best to polish the art and animation, it's quite clear that Type-Moon milking the original Fate Stay Night, especially with their FGO was launched around that time. To their credit though, they tried to expand a bit in regard of Caster's backstory, so at least Nasu has some new idea when making UBW anime. Oh yes, Deen also adapted UBW, although it's in form of the movie.

Shirobako - No much to say other than this is an anime about making the anime which may give you some insight on how the anime is created, which of course including the ordeal of the anime staffs.

Cross Ange - Directed by Gundam Seed director with that Gundam become infamous because of the director and the scriptwriter, which mean Cross Ange bound to have infamy. Sure enough, the abrasive personality of Ange (The MC) along with good portion of fan service is good recipe for controversy, which in turn invite some negative reviews. That say, Cross Ange obviously still have some fan who didn't mind the controversy and the flaws 

Daitoshokan - Apparently it follow the true route without branching into the heroines route or something like that, although if one need comparison at least there's a full translation patch for the VN.

Kaito Kid - While the series name is Kaito 1412, I may as well follow Gosho calling it as Kaito Kid because he's called as such in the manga (And Conan). Anyway this is Gosho's manga which deal with the titular thief who search the truth about his late dad who has been killed by someone (Who may or may not related to Conan's Black Organization), and one way of beat the killer is by stealing a jewel that sought by his father's killer. Obviously the story is still not complete seeing that Gosho being busy with Conan, with he make Conan and Kid crosses the path several times as the rival. As for when it'll be ended, well probably when Gosho finally finished with Conan as well.

Grisaia no Kajitsu - Frontwing definitely did good job with the adaptation, although for the different reason (As in they clearly rushed the routes adaptation). Namely that they merge the routes as one, which is the canon route that Frontwing propose at the beginning of Meikyuu main route, which if we know on how long Yuuji could get involved with the heroines are almost if not impossible. That aside, the anime itself worth to watch if you want to see so-called unseen canon route of the trilogy or have no enough patience to read a lengthy Kajitsu VN (Or perhaps both).

That's all for what I can comment in regard of Fall 2014 anime here.

Edited October 23, 2023 by littleshogun