(Imagine that my standard disclaimer about maybe coming back to these one day appears right here!)

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Demon Slayer: Entertainment District Arc

Zenitsu.

Masters of the Universe: Revelation

Okay, I’m maybe very tired – but He-Man didn’t really appear in the first few minutes, so I found myself getting impatient, and just switched over to something else.

Mieruko-Chan

I was pretty keen to see how the mix of horror and comedy would go here and I liked enough about the show overall, but after a few episodes (3 or so, same amount I lasted with the new Demon Slayer) I just haven’t gone back.

(Some of the fan-service elements were shoe-horned in pretty hard – I was laughing at times, it was just that clumsy).

Dog & Scissors

This sounded wonderfully bizarre and it featured a bookstore as the primary setting, and so I was very curious going in…

… but I didn’t laugh or even smile much in the first half of episode 1, and so I’ve shelved it for now.

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Boy, looking back on these I wonder if I’m feeling far more intolerant than I realised lately. Because of all of them, I’m thinking I’ll only try out He-Man again in a hurry.

Only time will tell 😀

Kicking off with my standard disclaimer – I’m not ruling out one day returning to any of these shows… it just might take a really, really long time for some of them, perhaps.

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Gantz

The science-fiction concept had me hooked but after only half of one episode I had come to loathe Kei Kurono.

Having said that, I might finish this one day – or just read about the plot to learn of some unanswered questions I have about the scenario.

Black Blood Brothers

Of the three I’ve listed today, I think this might be the one I could return to in the future, because I’m curious about events in the prologue.

And I liked Jirou’s character but Kotarou was a bit much in that first episode for me to continue.

Dagashi Kashi

I felt like trying out a comedy and the idea of a sweet shop sounded pretty great, but despite a memorable design, Horaru was not so much charming as annoying for me.

Of course, is it fair to give this (or any series) just one or only half an episode? Not really… but then, I have so many shows I want to watch/try/finish 😀

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Okay, I admit that this is one of my most click bait-style headings so far, since the word ‘Abandoned’ is probably a little too strong for some of these entries.

And so here’s the usual disclaimer – I’m not ruling out one day returning to any of these shows… one of which at least I am 99.9% certain I will finish.

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Sonny Boy

Ideally I want to come back to this when (now that?) it’s finished, so I can watch more episodes back-to-back, since having a break between each episode at the beginning wasn’t working for me.

I think I’ve seen the first three, and despite being hooked on the premise and the unanswered questions, and enjoying the visual aspects, I don’t think I’m actually interested in any of the characters.

The Case Study of Vanitas

Might return to this one day as I was enjoying the world, but I found Vanitas too annoying for a lead character.

Once he upgraded from being just annoying to ‘dude that commits sexual assault at the first opportunity’ I groaned and not only because it didn’t play like a flawed character who will one day change, and seemed more designed to fall rather neatly within the ‘cheap thrills’ category.

The Detective Is Already Dead

Nearly finished the first episode.

Might try to take a second look one day, as the premise caught my attention to begin with.

TEXHNOLYZE

99.9% sure I will finish this sometime during 2021.

I’m six or so episodes in and I was enjoying SO much about the anime. It is also just a tiny bit familiar too, as though I’d seen some of it a long time ago.

But whether my memory is any good or not is an issue I’ll put to one side for now, however, because I’ve been able to pinpoint what made me pause my viewing: for whatever reason, I’m just not in the mood for dystopian/bleak stuff at the moment.

I will be sooner or later, but it’s been over a month since I started and I haven’t returned just yet.

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How about you? Seen/planning to see/abandoned any of these?

While I procrastinate/struggle to finish my Perfect Blue review I thought I’d whip up another of my ‘Abandoned’ posts 😀

Standard disclaimer as usual: not ruling out one day returning to any of these… one day, someday etc etc

Lupin III Part 4

This one is probably not deserving of being in the list – just feel like I need to finish Part 2 and Part 3 before I start the Italian Adventure.

Space Adventure Cobra (1980s series)

I was enjoying the tweaking of ‘We Can Remember It for You Wholesale’ in the first episode, but maybe I actually spent too long comparing the series to the film, which seemed stronger overall.

One day I reckon I’ll finish this.

Cannon Busters

I wanted to like Cannon Busters more than I did but I think I only reached episode 3.

The setting and characters, the premise, even the very vague Trigun-feel to some aspects, all of those things should have been something I’d enjoy but I’m having trouble putting my finger on exactly what didn’t work for me.

Another case of my own expectations getting in the way? It might have been the writing itself actually… I’m still thinking about it now.

Space Dandy

I didn’t actually finish episode one here. I was thinking of a single word to describe why I didn’t keep going, and maybe it’s because Space Dandy struck me as ‘juvenile’.

Usually, I really enjoy parodies and I’ve loved every other work by Shinichirō Watanabe that I’ve seen, and so I really feel like I ought to give this another try in the future.

The Future Diary

The concept really caught my attention – different people having access to their own or other folks’ futures but only seeing ahead for a few minutes at a time.

It seemed like a great way to keep a lid on the naturally occurring difficulties with time travel stories but by the end of the first episode I realised the structure was probably going to be a ‘plot-fodder’ one, with a heap of disposable characters.

(And by ‘plot-fodder’ I’m doing a silly opposite of ‘plot-armour’ :D).

As ever, with these posts I don’t usually rule out one day returning to the titles I list each time… but something didn’t grab me for these ones upon first attempt.

And so, two quick notes first up (though I only have a touch more to say about the others as I’m a bit pressed for time :D)

High-rise Invasion

I didn’t finish episode one here and I think it was because I’m picky when it comes to ‘in medias res’ kinda openings. (They tend to be empty of connection for me.)

Rage of Bahamut: Virgin Soul

Rage… was just as bright and visually pleasing as its predecessor and had some fun action sequences… but I went in wanting more characters from the past and got far too little of them, and so I’ve set this to one side for now because I really ought to judge the sequel on its own merits and I can’t seem to do that at present.

Afterlost

From memory I’m about two episodes in and once again, a show that was very much casting the viewer into the middle of everything and then wavering between abandoning context altogether and portioning out just enough.

More than that, perhaps, was my own expectations getting in the way.

I read the logline as two strangers having to solve a science-fiction kinda mystery about the vanished citizens of an entire city but instead it was a little more paranormal + high-tech government conspiracy stuff.

Which is not bad at all but just not what I was keen for going in 🙂

Chrome Shelled Regios

Only two and a half episodes complete and there was a lot I was enjoying here re: the somewhat post-apocalyptic setting and other science-fiction elements for example. Some of the characters seemed like they were going to have nice arcs too but I simply haven’t come back to this yet.

It’s probably been a case of other shows drawing my attention more consistently, I guess.

Maybe of all the ones I’ve mentioned here, this is the show I might come back to first but it’s hard to say for sure!

Generally with these posts, I don’t rule out returning to the shows featured (unless I say so specifically for an individual title) so I’ll include my usual disclaimer, maybe I will return to these three, who knows? 🙂

It’s also just a short post this time around, after my previous monstrous list!

Black Cat

I’m actually 9 episodes in but I just sort of drifted away and haven’t returned yet. I was enjoying it, but basically, I remember thinking that there wasn’t enough Sven!

Buddy Complex

This seems bright and fun, and I like mecha a lot, so I probably could come back to this but somehow, despite an action-packed episode one, I wasn’t hooked. (Early signs of wonky charactarisation with Hina perhaps.)

.hack//sign

Long been aware of this classic isekai and I finally gave it a shot the other day. I like Noir from the same studio and loved the world and the set-up here, along with hints that the pacing would be a little different, but after a whole episode of the insufferable Tsukasa I just couldn’t go on.

But because it feels like he’ll have a good character arc, I think I could return to this one day for sure, but only when I have more energy for that kinda lead character.

This post has more titles than usual, as it includes a few things that I’ve saved up or didn’t include in previous lists, but basically due to the number of them today, I thought I’d only do a line or two about most.

As ever, some of these I gave half an episode to at most, so maybe I jumped the gun… Others, I am certain I won’t finish but one is very much more of a ‘deferment’ perhaps 😀

First, the list:

Dances with Dragons
Blazblue: Alter Memory
Code: Realise – Guardian of Rebirth
Vividred Operation
Garo: Crimson Moon
Code:Breaker
Corpse Princess
Appleseed XIII
The Garden of Sinners
Black Butler
Coyote Ragtime Show
Le Chevalier D’Eon

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Dances with Dragons

Was enjoying the premise and the mix of magic and tech – but the chemistry between the two leads somehow fell flat for me, even though it had tension.

Blazblue: Alter Memory

This seemed to draw together a whole heap of tropes and character archetypes from other shows but the structure of the first episode was too jumpy for me to grow invested in anyone.

Code: Realise – Guardian of Rebirth

While I do love steampunk I just couldn’t get on board with this particular dub. I’m curious to give this another shot though.

Vividred Operation

Sci-fi action and adventure! Magical girls saving the world! Costumes! Well, in the first few scenes the show seemed to be more about finding the ‘best’ camera angle to show the teenagers’ labia through panties so, no.

Garo: Crimson Moon

Might come back to this, as I like supernatural and also samurai-themed anime, but in my previous watching slump I found that there was no point of view character for me to latch on to in the prologue.

Code:Breaker

Again, welcome to another victim of my ‘supernatural slump’ – something about this felt melodramatic, rather than dramatic and so I drifted away from this one after a few eps. I think it was partly Rei that I didn’t enjoy.

Appleseed XIII

I do love the franchise but couldn’t get into the visual style with XIII.

The Garden of Sinners

This was interesting but seemed to be a little coy when it came to details I wanted more of – and I’m certainly not against stuff that could be described as having slow-burn pacing, but I don’t know if I’ll come back despite lingering curiosity.

Black Butler

I can definitely see why this is a classic but I found myself impatient for something ‘bigger’ though subtly isn’t a negative thing at all. I was enjoying the humour too. I could easily revisit this one day.

Coyote Ragtime Show

May well continue this one in the future, as it was nice to have a different kind of lead character to what is typical in modern anime. I can’t recall quite why I set this one to one side.

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Corpse Princess

Okay, unlike most others in the list above – I actually finished a season of this series. It was grim enough and even had character development, a bit of ‘Vash-like’ humour and the fan-service didn’t try too hard, but the real problem was season two.

I don’t know if the show got ahead of the manga after season one but the significant recapping and sudden stagnation of the story means I gave up after a few episodes.

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Le Chevalier D’Eon

All right – here we are at the end of the list, and this one is the ‘deferment’ I mentioned before.

I will definitely come back to Le Chevalier D’Eon but each time I sit down to watch another episode I find myself hesitating.

I think I know why – it’s the pacing.

It feels as though I hesitate because I know that our four heroes are going to visit a new town, catch up on local politics, help out, and then collect a few scraps of info on the main quest. That pattern has been repeating for a while now and so I’m finding it hard to jump back in, even though by the mid-way point I should be unable to put the show to one side.

What’s interesting to me is that I love episodic storytelling but this feels like mini-arcs with not enough of the main plot thread woven throughout to satisfy my curiosity. On the other hand, I know I’ll finish Le Chevalier D’Eon because there is so much I want to discover and the characters, settings and magic are all great – along with the swashbuckling too.

And that first episode is one of my all-time favourite opening episodes to an anime, so I know I enjoy this series enough to finish… but it’s a matter of when will I have the patience? Hopefully soon!