Clephas

Ansatsu Kyoushitsu- I enjoyed it and it is massively popular. However, I'm sure some people hate on it. Shinmai Maou- Ecchi fantasy in the modern era. All the seasons of this anime are devoted to giving us blue balls. Seiken Tsukai no World Break- For chuuni fans, this anime is pure delicious delicious junk food. For everyone else it is meh, lol. Absolute duo- One of several 'modern-day fantasy' anime that came out during this season and one of many during this particular three year period. It is completely average, unfortunately... though I still enjoyed it.

Most of the early Mangagamer translations were MTL... until they redid most of them (Edelweiss's original localization was an abomination). The biggest improvement in MTL is in the English grammar, not the actual translation, from what I can see. Before, the mtls would try so hard to translate stuff directly that the results were garbled word spaghetti. MTL is completely useless for turns of phrase, proverbs, idioms, and the like, and it still screws up the subject of sentences roughly 60% of the time from what I can see. On the other hand, most localizers and fantls are just as bad on the former. The latter is mostly because Japanese prose and dialogue heavily overuse implied subjects and pronouns. Essentially, a decent translation of a scene requires the translator to comprehend the entirety of the context of the scene up until the line in question, which is where MTL seems to fail the most drastically. At the same time, most English-speakers share a similar problem, as English grammar doesn't use implied subjects, though the use of pronouns in place of names and the like is normal. From what I can tell, this is why decent manual translations consistently beat out even the most advanced MTL. The best option would to be to make a specialized MTL setup for translating prose, but that isn't likely to happen anytime soon.

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.

I don't know about short ones, but Baldr Sky's steam version is all-ages and Tokyo Babel is as well. The downside is that they are both fairly long VNs.

It is perfectly normal to channel other people's styles or try to absorb the best parts of them. To be blunt, completely unique styles aren't that common anymore, so it isn't really being a sponge. It's learning from your predecessors. If you feel bad about it, just acknowledge them when you self-publish.

Tokyo Ghoul- This could have been so much better... it was good but not so good I want to rewatch it. Akame ga Kill- Great fantasy story, only downside is that the ending is kinda blech. Argevollen- Down in the dirt mecha action during a large-scale war. Fun to watch, story is meh. Rokujouma- Comedy science fantasy with a bunch of wacky heroines. Seireitsukai no Blade Dance- Decent fantasy action with a tsundere main heroine that never goes anywhere. Aldnoah- Top-quality science fiction story. Worth watching if you like science-fiction action and war.

This is one of those seasons full of halfway decent action fantasy (not isekai, for those who hate isekai, lol). Some of it is crap, but most of it is interesting to watch. No game no life- Pretty famous for a lot of reasons. One was accusations against the mangaka for plagiarism. The other was the high-quality of the anime and demands from the fans for an immediate second season that never materialized. However, the prequel movie (that came out years later) is godly (if you ignore the abominable localization that has nothing to do with what the Japanese characters are saying), so please watch it. Mahouka- One of my most-watched favorites, an overpowered protagonist series in an interesting setting where sorcerers are essentially designer babies and the descendants of designer babies created as weapons of their nations. Blade and Soul- Decent Chinese-style fantasy based off of an MMO game that never really got much traction over here due to the glut of similar games at the time. Seikoku no Dragonar- Fantasy series about dragon knights who bond with dragons and ride them into battle... except for the protagonist whose dragon is a bit unusual. Hitsugi no Chaika- Fantasy series that is more than a bit creepy in practice. Still, has some good action and characters, so it is a good watch. Black Bullet- First-rate post-apocalyptic science-fantasy. Basically a Muv-luv Alternative style situation combined with zombie infection type setup and a relatively stabilized situation. Protagonist is solid, but the downside is that the seeming main heroine is a loli and the other heroine is a psychopath that only shows it at certain times.

*Clephas causes an army of nekololi ninjas to manifest atop a gigantic altar surrounded by green flames and commit seppuku to call forth their abyssal master, however only silence is returned.*

Kyoukai no Kanata- Urban fantasy with some good action and weird characters. Log Horizon- Trapped in an MMO. Protagonist is high-quality, interesting character dynamics. Yuusha ni Narenakatta- Similar to Hataraku Maou Strike the Blood- Basically a vampire version of To Aru Tokyo Ravens- Onmyouji action in an alternate version of Japan. Nounai Sentakushi- Comedy series that is pretty ridiculous and ecchi.

Hoozuki no Reitetsu- really the only notable anime from this season. A funny series that delves into the underworld of Buddhist myth (mostly Japanese with some Chinese influences) in a humorous manner with the main character being the cold-blooded oni, Hoozuki, who is the personal assistant to King Enma.

Kamisama no Inai Nichiyoubi- ... seriously, you thought it was nothing but sol after the intro? *sighs* you obviously didn't watch more than the first four episodes kvan. This series is basically a 'naki' type meant to create catharsis through the characters' experiences in the post-apocalyptic world, while slowly coming to certain realizations about the true nature of the world as it has become.

Seishun Love come- Great rom-com series that was incredibly popular at the time. Hataraku Maou- While this series is dated nowadays and it shows in the boring second season, it was still a good comedy fantasy at the time. Suisei no Gargantia- Starts out as a mecha sci-fi in an obviously dystopian future before making its way to a submerged version of earth plagued by the same aliens the protagonist was fighting in space. Generally an interesting story where the protagonist slowly starts to gain humanity as he deals with the survivors of Earth's fall and the legacy of the ancestors. Mushibugyou- Shounen fantasy about a world where hyperevolved insects are fighting a war against the shogunate. Great action, decent story, ends without a conclusion. Crime Edge- Mystery/fantasy based in the modern age where psycopaths' artifacts both alter the minds of their descendants and grant them power. Interesting but the series ended without the main story going anywhere.

Mondaiji-tachi- Interesting isekai fantasy that never got a second season, sadly. Maoyuu- This fantasy series is one of my all-time favorites. There are a number of reasons, from the stylistic choices, to the characters, and certain key points in the series that made me cry or proud of the characters. Considering that it is only twelve episodes long, it is stunning how much content made it in. Zettai Karen Children The Unlimited- Even if you didn't like the original series, this prequel/gaiden is awesome to watch. Great esper action with a much darker atmosphere than the original series.

Most memorable for me was Zetsuen no Tempest. The complicated relationships between the characters and the sheer drama and scale of the story made it an awesome read.

Kingdom- First steps of the journey of Qin Shi Huang and his future general. Generally speaking, good action, excellent story SAO- SAO's first season is considered to be the best for a reason... Dog Days- Child-oriented isekai sports. Oda Nobuna- Koihime Musou-style protagonist goes back to a point in history. Pretty standard issue stuff from a VN perspective, the only unusual part being that it is an anime. Campione- Ecchi-heavy fantasy in modern times Dakara ore wa H dekinai- Low-quality ecchi fantasy comedy. Hagure Yuusha- Heavy on the ecchi and action, story goes unfinished and unexplained. Similar to Ikki Tousen and Queen's Blade in that nudity occurs at random times for no particular reason.

High School DxD- Pretty famous ecchi anime series that even had several doujin eroge made about it. Has surprisingly good action for a harem-ecchi fantasy. Papa no Iukoto- Good anime about a guy who takes in his cousins after their parents die. Lots of emotional moments. Mouretsu Pirates- Rather incoherent science-fiction series based in a setting where space piracy has been normalized through a rather slapdash privateering system.

HunterxHunter (2011)- Great shounen series. Ironically, the animation quality is lower than the original series. Fate/Zero- Kvan, I know you have something against the Fate series, but if you can't recognize the sheer quality of ufotable's work on this, there is something wrong with you. Haganai- High quality rom-com. Guilty Crown- Weird fantasy series that has a lot of cool moments but is a bit incoherent overall. Shakugan no Shana III- The conclusion of the series with the best action so far. Downside is that it jumps over a large swathe of developments between the two seasons.

Dantalian- I actually helped fansub this one, and it is one of a very few anime I fansubbed that I didn't come to loathe. The concept is interesting and the characters are solid and well-developed. It is just unfortunate that it never got a second season. Itsuka Tenma- I actually liked this one quite a bit, though it definitely is one of those anime you will either hate or love. Unfortunately, like many fantasy series of this era, it never got a second season and didn't end at a good cut-off point. Kamisama no Memochou- This one was interesting... but it isn't to my tastes. Mysteries just don't do anything for me anymore.

Ao no Exorcist- Low quality, overrated fantasy series with an interesting concept that was poorly presented. Hidan no Aria- Low quality science fantasy ecchi with a Shana clone for a main heroine.

One place where AI tools will probably shine is in artwork. To be blunt, the only thing that stands out in AI-made games so far is the visual shine. If you just want visual perfection, nothing does it like an AI. On the other hand, if you want visual brilliance, it will probably be reliant on actual artists until the first AIs gain self-awareness and human independence vanishes forever, lol. Oh and AI-made games' writing is...terrifyingly bland and informative without showing any signs of creative flair whatsoever. You'd think that with all the examples of top-quality writing out there, the base quality would be at least slightly better, but it hovers around just below mediocre.

Never said it was bad, it is actually a gem. I just thought the H was - typical of a lot of that era's VNs - intrusive and excessive at times. I also tend to prefer VNs where the protagonist is the central role or at the very least equal with the heroine on all levels. While there are a few paths (in the fandisc and in the main game) where he is central, the one that is considered canon has him being basically a side-character. If I had to compare this game to another one, it would be Aokana, because Aokana was modeled after it in concept. This game is executed better though. Edit: I used to make wall of text posts about stuff like this, but I just don't have that kind of energy in me anymore.

Walkure Romanze is pretty good except for the H, which is a bit intrusive. Downside is that the protagonist is a bit too much of a side-character in many of the paths.

I've seen the AI-generated games that are popping up on DLsite, and I even played a few. My first thought after doing so was... boredom. They look beautiful and technically hit the fetish points of those trying to play them, but they somehow manage to be completely bland and soulless nonetheless.

Kore wa Zombie desu ka- Ridiculous comedy everyday fantasy with enough violence for it to be a Fate series but the atmosphere of FLCL. Freezing- ecchi apocalyptic fantasy that somehow manages to be interesting for the first half but gradually just trails off. Dragon Crisis- Setting and series had immense potential, but without a second season, there was no way for them to bring it to life. I was really fond of the idea of using relics to use magic-like abilities, as it had immense potential for a shounen-style fantasy action anime or a Fate-style dark fantasy action anime, lol

Translators are the ones paid by the word, symbols or lines. While there might be VN writers out there paid by the line, most of the time when someone hires a writer it is either based on time or by the project. The company either pays a by the hour salary for time spent in office on the project or a single lump sum to contract for the project. I have only been hired with a by word count on three occasions in the last twenty years, since it is usually a recipe for contract disputes on both sides.