Star Crossed Anime

A Terrified Teacher at Ghoul School

Short Synopsis: A pathetic failure becomes the new teacher of a school for Spirits.

Mario: While I believe Youkai Gakkou can build on this concept to get to know more about each type of youkai as they open up to this new human teacher, there are many strikes against it that I don’t really see it can raise above the water. The most glaring one is the teacher himself who is just plain and uninteresting as a lead. When you introduce someone with a story of how they become shut-in after one bad first day teaching at school, while making light of that fact, you’ve done your character a big disservice. It doesn’t get much better from there since he curls up like a ball when he realizes he’s teaching a class full of youkai. The first case he gets here, about a misfortuned youkai that becomes a shut-in, is also not its best sadly. We soon learn the reasons for her not going to school is not because of any stress, bullying or social anxiety that she experiences (which in turns could be something common the teacher and she share), instead it’s just because… she plays too many games. I guess maybe like Natsume’s Book of Friends, we get an episodic chapter about these youkai, and some of them might be touching – but in a season where the actual Natsume is airing, I don’t see any reason in following this one over the much better show.
Potential: 5%

Lenlo: How do I put this… Youkai Gakkou seems to depend entirely on how much you enjoy pathetic humor. Is it funny watching a cowardly incompetent teacher be picked on/looked down on by his students? If so, you’ll probably have a decent time with it. For me though, the comedy fell short. And seeing as how the comedy is basically all this first episode has going for it, that’s not good. I imagine Youkai Gakkou has plans for more, it probably wants to do something uplifting where the teacher makes the Youkai feel normal or something while they help him become more confident. If that’s the case though, it really should have led with that and let the comedy come in later. Suffice to say, as exhausted as I am of premieres this late into the opening of the season, I’m not feeling any interest here.
Potential: 5%

Thunderbolt Fantasy S4

Short Synopsis: Season 4 of Thunderbolt Fantasy, AKA Urobuchi’s Taiwanese Puppet Show.

Lenlo: So I’m gonna be honest, I’ve never really known what is actually happening in Thunderbolt Fantasy. There’s some epic plot about swords, demon lords, spirits and shit, I honestly couldn’t tell you. As such, I can’t really talk about the story or character arcs or anything like that, because none of those are why I watch the show. No, I watch it for one thing and one thing only: Puppets. There’s nothing else quite like them in anime I feel. The exaggerated way they move, the detail in their design and fights, and the fights! Oh the fights. There’s something so fun about watching puppets fly across the screen, kicking up sand and dust with mystical powers, as they duke it out in classic wire-work martial arts film style. Can I recommend this to everyone? No, not at all. The story is nonsensical and honestly probably not very good if I’ve ignored it for 4 seasons. But if, like me, you have a strange fascination with magical puppet fights… You’ll be able to have a good time.
Potential: 50%

Mario: I’ve been following Thunderbolt Fantasy since its inception, and even more was blogging it when it first aired in 2016. Unique aesthetic – and a common question of ‘is it even anime?’ – aside, I am familiar with the wuxia convention well enough to get a real kick out of that. This show for me is Urobuchi at his most doesn’t-give-a-damn. There are larger-than-life characters, epic plots about human and devil realms and other nonsense, but they are entertaining and truly something to behold. This first episode of the supposed final season is purely set up as we track multiple groups of characters while introducing a pair of powerful underlings. So far, it’s actually our MC Shang Bu Huan who is the least interesting as he has second thoughts about his own mission. I’m sure he gets dragged along to the mess soon enough, and I’m all in for that.
Potential: 50%

Touhai: Ura Rate Mahjong Touhai Roku

Short Synopsis: Money, women, organs. Kei, a high school boy, frequents the underground mahjong parlor teeming with desires, earning him the moniker ‘K of Ice’ in the underworld due to his cold-hearted strategy and stylish gameplay. Rumors also circulate that he keeps a girl at his home.

Lenlo: Touhai suffers from the same issue as every Mahjong anime, the simply fact that no one in the west knows how to play this fucking game. And much like the Cute Girls Doing Cute Things Mahjong from a season or two ago, that really limits its reach because it doesn’t put any effort into teaching the audience how to play the game. That’s probably for the best with the Japanese market, but for me? That makes it impossible to get into. Even putting that aside though, Touhai also comes off as a poorly produced, inferior copy of Akagi, another Mahjong series but created by the Kaiji Ultimate Survivor author, someone who is far more capable of making Mahjong interesting. Combine those, the difficulty of getting into the game and the existence of multiple better criminal-based mahjong series, and I’m not really finding a compelling reason to watch this one. Maybe you’ll enjoy some of the over the top criminality, what with the sex slaves and all, but it sort of feels like shock value more than anything.
Potential: 0%

Demon Lord 2099

Short Synopsis: The Demon Lord is banished by the Hero, only for him to reawaken 500 years later into a whole new, much more technologically advanced world.

Lenlo: Demon Lord 2099 was… shockingly good. I was expecting a meme, but not, it’s legitimately good. From the world and characters it’s created to the story they are caught up in, 2099 genuinely feels like something new. The combination of magic and technology to create a future-fantasy dystopia ala Shadowrun, is fully realized here with beautiful backgrounds and an interesting mix of visual staples from the two genres. And the way power scaling is handled is great as well, working similar to Frieren where it’s not that the Demon Lord got weaker but that magic technology and technique advanced while he was banished. This idea that even common street thugs are able to kick a Demon Lords ass now, and that he can’t get the same implant they have, works well. Most of all, I like the villain! The dude’s just a corporate overlord ass-hate with an inferiority complex who spent the last 500 years prepping to replace his boss. I’ll admit, the show isn’t incredibly animated or anything, there’s no big fights. But I’m bought into this world, these characters, and this conflict way more than I expected to. I really hope 2099 manages to keep this up for the whole 12 episode run, because right now this is my big surprise of the season. Plus, it has Vtubers! Towa-Sama!
Potential: 70%

Amun: I’m a bit less enthusiastic here than Lenlo. I have to admit that I’ve seen quite a few of these “Post-Demon Lord” shows recently (the best of which is obviously, without question, Frieren). I’d say Demon Lord 2099 is a lot closer to Level 1 Demon Lord and One Room Hero with the character dynamics – maybe mixed in a bit with Our Last Crusade/Rise of a New World for the magic/tech mixture; neither of those shows is exactly making history. The villain and even our lead felt a bit flat – both leaning into the super evil persona’s a bit too hard there. Sure, I’m certain they’ll develop over the series, but I was just a bit turned off by how one-dimensional the confrontation was. I like the world well enough, and I think the “problem” to solve is plenty interesting (rebuilding a lost kingdom). I guess I’m a little hesitant in the lack of comedy or chemistry felt…anywhere. Still, I’m here for at least a few more on the strength of the premise alone.
Potential: 50%

The Healer Who Was Banished From His Party

Short Synopsis: A healer only capable of using basic heals is banished from his party. Little did they know, he was capable of more than anyone could expect.

Lenlo: This is a pretty classic “Misunderstood MC is actually OP” story. We don’t get any explanations just yet, more setting up our Female MC, why she’s here, her connection to the lead, and a small mystery about how dangerous he actually is. I’ll admit, the idea that he’s actively hiding his true class and skills is better than him just being OP despite only having basic spells. But unlike say… I Parry Everything which had much the same setup, this one is lacking a lot of the personality and character that made Parry so fun. The MC isn’t an asshole, which is nice, but he also doesn’t have much personality beyond just… not being an asshole. I could see this being fun if you just want a popcorn sort of show, but personally I’m not going to be keeping up with it.
Potential: 10%

Shangri-La Frontier S2

Short Synopsis: Season 2 of Shangri La Frontier.

Lenlo: Shangri-La Frontier picks up so close to where it left off, so nonchalantly, that it almost doesn’t even feel like we’re starting a new season. In some ways that’s nice, there’s no overly long recap, it doesn’t waste our time trying to bring us up to speed, we just jump right into things. As someone who knows where we are, that’s nice! I’m glad we’re not wasting any time here. That said, I could see it being a bit of a shock for those who don’t remember anything from the previous season. One nice surprise with the episode though had to be the production. It looked great, a number of well animated, dynamic, stylistic fights that I really wasn’t expecting. Season 1 started strong as well, sure, but with how uneventful the last few episodes of the previous season/this current arc is, I didn’t think it would get that much attention. Hopefully the series will keep this up as it moves into the more interesting arcs that it should, hopefully, reach with 25 episodes. All in all, while I’m not expecting the show to be too great this early, aside from shockingly good animation, I do have hope for two arcs that should be roughly as good, if not better, than Wezaemon we got in the first season. If it can do those arcs justice, with the same care Wezaemon got, then Season 2 should be just as good as the first.
Potential: 50%

Tsuma, Shougakusei ni Naru

Short Synopsis: A normal family’s matriarch is reincarnated as a grade schooler.

Amun: I signed up for this one simply because the premise is…unusual to say the least. Going in, I wondered if it would try to be a lighthearted comedy, making tons of jokes about the age gap or if it would be a really tearful, heartfelt “value the time you have” message beaten over our heads. Turns out, Tsuma, Shougakusei, plays it pretty straight. There isn’t a glossing over of how weird things are, or how unusual the dynamics appear to society (the family’s wife now being substantially younger than her own daughter). Moreso, the scenarios of the juggling of the two families (how do you explain your second family as a grade schooler?) and the different romantic dynamics of the more appropriate ages are explored in a pretty clear-eyed manner. In fact, the premise is pretty much the only weird thing about this show – everything else so far has been by the book. And I like that. I really don’t know how Tsuma Shougakusei will manage all of the storylines and complications, but I appreciate the uniqueness of how it’s trying so far. It’s definitely an odd one, but I’m willing to give it a chance.
Potential: 65%

Yakuza Fiancé

Short Synopsis: The granddaughter and grandson of rival yakuza families enter into an uneasy relationship.

Wooper: I knew this show was going to be twisted, but I didn’t expect its male lead to suggest that his prospective fiance become an escort, then list some of the sexual acts she’d be expected to perform in the role. Unless Yakuza Fiance led with its most scandalous material and is planning to turn it down going forward, it seems this show will be a far cry from your typical romance anime. Another thing that sets it apart is its female protagonist’s mission: to make this unhinged dude fall hopelessly in love with her, then dump him after a year, ostensibly so that her yakuza group can take revenge or gain leverage over her target’s family. I’m hopeful that the show will dive into the specifics of how these two groups have antagonized each other in the past, since the heads of both families were the most prominent supporting characters in this premiere. As a matter of fact, it was mostly just the two teenagers and the two grandpas delivering lines this time – the show is tightly focused on a core group of people at this point, eschewing visual diversity in favor of repeated close-ups to highlight the cast’s attractiveness. This results in a rather uninvolving episode, at least from a storyboarding perspective, but the characters’ spirited personalities do keep the half hour afloat. I’ll give this one another couple episodes to develop its personal and familial conflicts, then decide whether I want to continue with it.
Potential: 40%

Natsume’s Book of Friends S7

Short Synopsis: A highschooler seeks to return spirit’s names that his grandma beat out of them.

Amun: I can’t tell you how many times I refreshed Anichart, just to make sure it wasn’t all a dream – that Natsume’s Book of Friends was returning this season. Almost exactly seven years, we’ve been waiting for the supernatural hijinks to return. And this was honestly a good, standard, Natsume episode. We were reintroduced to some of our old friends (plus Natsume’s more recent human additions), but we still got a standard, self-contained story, like we get in so many of the previous six seasons. It doesn’t look like the overall production quality has diminished, and the story still felt complete with plenty of youkai feels – I’m happy as a clam. I would say that Natsume really shines when the story advances (with glacial speed), so I’m hoping for some small advancements of the overall story and maybe some deeper looks into Reiko’s past. Overall, it’s just so great to be back.
Potential: As long as they’re making it, I’m watching it.

Ranma ½

Short Synopsis: A teenage martial artist with the ability to change sexes moves into a dojo with three beautiful sisters.

Lenlo: I feel the need to preface this saying that I’ve never seen Ranma before. This is my first experience with the series. And I have to say, my initial reaction is… mixed? So much about it feels dated or played out, and that’s because it is, Ranma is an old show! But things like the marriage plot, the comedy, the designs, the way it handles fanservice, they aren’t very appealing in the modern day. At least not to me. Some of it works, the animation is fluid, leading to some great action, and the designs are expressive, leading to some great reactions. It’s just… The animation is really all it has going for it for me? I think if you enjoy these kinds of jokes, and want a throwback to the past, this could be a good time. But personally, I’d rather watch Orb, or Dandadan.
Potential: 25%

Mario: I did watch the early portion of the original 1989 version, and I certainly understand why it was popular back in the day. That being said, I’m not sure how well it appeals to the modern audience. The story beats, at least in this first episode, remain the same as the original. That means it also includes endless random slapstick, a “see a girl naked in the bath” situation, and many “dated” elements such as arranged marriage. On the other hand, the visuals get a big upgrade. It looks super nice with its colorful backgrounds, and I love the smooth sound effect text appearing on screen. The animation is slick as well, and so far the situations Ranma puts himself in are snappy enough to warrant more watches from me.
Potential: 30%

How I Attended an All-Guys Mixer

Short Synopsis: Three befuddled college guys hit the town with a trio of drag kings.

Lenlo: This seems… fine? The weirdest part is how it seems to be trying for both the fujoshi bait audience and the straight romance audience. It’s like the show is trying to frame these as gay relationships without having the wherewithal to actually commit to them. I’m sure many can overlook that, it’s just not an issue for most, but it was definitely noticeable. That aside though, it was kind of cute. Three pairings, rather than one boy with three options, meant each relationship had time to breathe as they traded focus between them. If you can get past the fujoshi-bait aspects of the show, I think you could have a decent time. Assuming it actually commits to the romances and such, that is.
Potential: 15%

Wooper: Despite being a comedy anime, All-Guys Mixer has only two jokes in its arsenal: “That woman is dressed as a man!” and “How could I, a heterosexual man, be attracted to a masculine-presenting woman?” (That’s really only one joke, but I’m feeling generous today.) Its three male protagonists show up to a group date and discover that their three female partners work at a drag bar, which causes some understandable confusion, but that confusion never dissipates, and probably never will for as long as the show drags on. That’s Japan’s strategy with this type of series, after all – viewers get to enjoy the aesthetic appeal of gay flirtation without the icky reality of same-sex attraction. All-Guys Mixer is already gutless for that reason, but its presentation is soulless on top of that. During the karaoke scene, the show cuts straight from characters preparing to sing to shots of them just having finished, with the screen behind them judging their voices to be incredible, despite us not hearing a single note. There’s a crane game scene where a prize slides out of the machine’s chute with no regard for geometry or perspective, which would be hilarious if it weren’t such a perfect encapsulation of Japan’s animator training crisis. The only positive I could find here were the seiyuu – their performances weren’t great by any means, but the actors seemed to be having fun, so the show earns a few points for that.
Potential: 5%

Puniru wa Kawaii Slime

Short Synopsis: A magical slime girl constantly annoys the teenager who created her when he was a little boy.

Wooper: Full disclosure: I only got halfway through this premiere before turning it off, so if you’re a Puniru stan, feel free to dismiss my opinion as that of an uninformed philistine. Why did I bail so early, others may ask? For starters, there’s the hallway scene at protagonist Kotaro’s middle school, where the titular slime girl harasses him for several minutes without another soul showing their face (this school must be incredible if its doors are soundproofed against that level of squeaky-voiced commotion). Puniru’s boisterous personality is strongly reminiscent of the younger sister from Himouto! Umaru-chan, which is already a red flag, but her ability to transform into a big-breasted teenager (which she does twice in the episode’s first 12 minutes) makes her even harder to tolerate, if that’s possible. Tropes like a kawaii character making duck lips and touching their index fingers together, or the male protagonist’s classmates getting pissed at their “friend” for having a close female acquaintance, are exhausting when laid on top of the show’s already manic tone. The soundtrack does a good job of matching that atmosphere, with its high-pitched synths, record scratches and bubble-popping effects, but since it’s part of a show with nothing to say, there’s no way I’d ever finish this episode (much less the whole series) just to experience more of it.
Potential: 0%

SAO Alternative: Gun Gale Online II

Short Synopsis: Season 2 of Gun Gale Online, where a little girl plays a gun-based VR MMO and kicks butt.

Lenlo: GGO continues to be the most fun I’ve had with SAO. Screw the high fantasy shit, gimme all the same MMO trappings but with guns. While the production isn’t great, lots of stills, panning shots, zooms etc, it looks good enough for what it is and I expect it to pick up as the season goes on and we get into the action. And sure, this episode was largely setup/recap, reminding us what happened, reintroducing characters, and establishing the conflict. But the characters in general are also just… more fun than SAOs? To them this is a game, it isn’t life or death, so even in defeat it’s allowed to be fun, and that shows in how they interact with each other. The fact there’s no death game, no serious end of the world scenario, also means that our leads can feasibly lose. They still probably won’t, because that’s how these stories go, but it’s more tension than you’d normally get in an SAO story. All in all, I’d say if you’re looking for an Isekai-Adjacent show, especially one that plays the MMO stuff straight with some actual fun behind it similar to Shangri-La Frontier, then GGO is going to be right up your alley. It’s definitely up mine.
Potential: 60%

The Stories of Girls Who Couldn’t Be Magicians

Short Synopsis: After flunking the placement test for her school’s magic program, an aspiring magician begins to study alongside a host of strange classmates.

Wooper: I’ll say this for Girls Who Couldn’t Be Magicians, it’s highly dedicated to its storybook background art style. The show’s use of digital textures to mimic canvas, construction paper, and other materials isn’t convincing to my critical eyes, but given that the story seems to be aimed at 8-12 year olds, it ought to get the job done. What doesn’t match its apparent demographic, however, is the sheer number of characters introduced in this first episode. I couldn’t keep all of the students straight in my head, but honestly, I didn’t really need to – they can just be labeled based on their personalities, which ought to be instantly familiar to anyone who’s watched a decent amount of anime. That includes the crybaby protagonist (why Japan is so attached to that trope I’ll never understand), the class ojou-sama and her two yes-women, the mysterious male twins, etc. They’re all part of a class that isn’t supposed to have much magical talent, but many of them actually do, plus their instructor ends up being a highly skilled witch, so there’s not much cause and effect to the episode’s outer workings. I’m sure it’s helpful for children to hear that they have innate potential, especially if they’re branded as underachievers, but I’d rather they receive that message from a trusted adult in their lives rather than this very plain anime.
Potential: 5%

Lenlo: You know what, I can’t deny that Mahoutsukai looks nice. The thick line work, watercolor style and pastel colors, the world. It really is a pretty show, with a memorable and unique art style! Easily one of the most memorable of the season so far. It’s too bad the show abandons so much of it for a more traditional anime style once the opening scene ends. It keeps some of the texturing, but that’s it, otherwise dropping everything that made it stand out in favor of the normal anime look. It’s a damn shame, because that was really all I could praise. Wooper hits the rest on the head. The cast is bloated, the plot is dull and the whole thing felt like it took me an hour to finish despite being only 20 minutes long. I suppose if you like childrens witch/magical girl shows, this could be up your alley. But for me, I’d once again say to just go watch Precure. Apparently that’s pretty good this season, better than this at least.
Potential: 5%

Kimi wa Meido-sama

Short Synopsis: A former assassin becomes a live-in maid for a pair of siblings.

Lenlo: This whole show is just… There’s not even an attempt to justify or explain it? The lead isn’t the son of someone the maid/assassin killed, she’s not trying to hide her prior highly illegal job or anything, there’s no real prior connection here. It’s just the loosest, most ridiculous justification to have an adult woman in a maid outfit clean up after an absolute slob. I’ll admit, there’s some decent animation whenever she shows off her weapons against the tree, but… I’m really not feeling this Violet Evergarden knockoff. The maid is just generically trying to learn what a normal life is, rather than anything specific or compelling. And once it reveals its hand as a cheap romance where a Nobody has a hot girl in a maid outfit hand delivered to him, it becomes clear I never will. Maybe I’m just not seeing it and Mario will catch something, but the heart-felt connection needed to make this work is missing completely for me.
Potential: 1%

Mario: This time I’m not seeing it either, Lenlo. What we have in this first episode of Maid-sama is lazy writing full of wish-fulfillment factors, where both characters have zero personality to speak of. Hapless boy suddenly has a hot girl asking him to be his servant? She happens to be an assassin with no emotion? It’s trite, it brings nothing new to the table. Indeed, the maid girl makes both Yor Forger and Violet Evergarden much more complex in comparison, which is saying a lot given the fact that both are the weakest links in their respective shows. And she expresses her feelings over… tonkatsu sauce?! Get me out of here. On the positive side, I now know which show I will put as the worst premiere for my vote.
Potential: Tonkatsu sauce can’t save this episode

Orb: On the Movements of the Earth

Short Synopsis: A gifted orphan with a knack for astronomy comes into contact with a heliocentric heretic.

Wooper: Orb: On the Movements of the Earth has yet another of this season’s dual episode premieres, and the first of those two episodes is slow enough that you really ought to watch both at once. Here I am, though, not practicing what I preach and simply showing up to praise the first one in isolation; based on Orb’s first 25 minutes, I’m expecting to follow the series for both of its consecutive cours. That’s not a decision I’m making based on its looks, which are merely serviceable – though some of its night skies are quite pretty, especially compared to everything else. Instead, it’s based on its setting (15th century not-Poland, referred to only as “P”), premise (astronomers versus the Church), and crucially, its directorial restraint. Orb understands that, although its genius main character is the conduit through whom we experience the story, there are times when we shouldn’t hear his inner thoughts. And even though the show’s animation is second rate, Orb doesn’t shy away from tracking characters through their walk cycles as they trudge through the not-Polish town where it takes place. That slow pace creates something of an oppressive atmosphere, which matches the Church’s restrictive grip on the thoughts of its adherents (this version of the Church, anyway). It’s not flashy, but it’s all very well thought out, so I’m looking forward to more.
Potential: 70%

Lenlo: I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started Orb, but a 15th century drama about heliocentrism and the churches attempts to stamp it out was not it. And yet… it sucked me in completely. The contrast between Rafal’s outgoing, positive energy, that passion to explore and learn about the stars, and the suffocating regulations and punishments of the church was chilling. Combine that with strong, compelling characters like Rafal, who must hide everything about themselves, Hubert, who seems able to see through it yet clearly suffers for his own research and refuses to stop, the Church hunter who seems to enjoy his job more than his faith, and you have a strong pilot. Of course the production isn’t great, as Wooper says it’s a rather middling show visually most of the time, though it does have its moments. Still, I’m engaged, and I’m going to watch episode 2 right after I finish this write up. Good shit. Definitely a highpoint of the season so far.
Potential: 80%

Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War
-The Conflict-

Short Synopsis: Second Season of the final arc of Bleach, where Quincy wage war on Soul Society.

Lenlo: Let’s be real, this is Bleach. You know exactly what it is and what you’re going into. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be all the way to the final season. So with that out of the way, what’s going on with the new season? Well it picks up right where the left one left off, and I mean right there. In fact I’m pretty sure the first half of the episode is just replaying the last half of the previous season’s final episode. In that sense, I’m a little concerned, because we’re already reusing footage and this is just the first episode. That said, the new stuff we did get is pretty damn baller. It’s all rule-of-cool bullshit, “Nothing I see and understand affects me” and “No YOU’RE trapped in YOUR Bankai, Uno Reverse”, but god damn if isn’t still cool. Especially when presented as stylistically as it was. Sure, there’s absolutely 0 internal consistency here, power scaling is all over the place, nothing makes any sense. But if you just wanna watch cool people do cool shit in style, Bleach seems like it’s about to go all out for its finale. So personally? I’m gonna watch it and hopefully have fun with the flashing lights.
Potential: 60%

Blue Lock S2

Short Synopsis: Season 2 of Blue Lock, where a bunch of the most egotistical highschool soccer players imaginable are forced to duke it out for a chance at the top.

Lenlo: So personally, this arc is where Blue Lock lost a bit of its momentum for me. It regains it later, so it’s not like the series is all downhill, but this is definitely a low point of the series so I’m curious to see if the anime will be able to elevate it at all. Why, you ask? Well it’s mostly all because of Shidou. Blue Lock is already an over the top series, that won’t change, if you want to see cool soccer matches with a seemingly improved production from the first season, that’s all still here. But Shidou… He’s even more over the top than that, in a bad way. The guy’s incredibly violent, one note, with a weirdly sexual world view that we will see more of as the show goes on. It’s not all bad though, with the cast cut down as much as it is that lets the ones remaining have more screen time themselves. That means more conversations like Isagi and Barou, or Isagi and Ren, etc etc. Those are nice, Blue Lock does a good job examining what “winning” and “ego” means to each character, and we’ll only get more of that as the characters are cut down for the U-20 game. All that to say, if you liked the first season of Blue Lock, especially its characters, I think you’ll have a good time here. It won’t be as good, mostly because the U-20 game isn’t the best match in my opinion, but the core is still there and everything leading up to it should be decent. If you didn’t like it though, this season isn’t going to change enough to make it worth watching, I’m sorry.
Potential: 50%

Trillion Game

Short Synopsis: A charismatic corporate applicant befriends an anxious computer nerd with plans to become a trillionaire.

Wooper: At the time of this writing, there have been four fall shows to premiere their first two episodes simultaneously. Trillion Game happens to be one of them, but I didn’t watch its second episode to see how both of them sat together; I found the first one to be sufficiently fun on its own. There’s little doubt in my mind that this show is going to be very silly, especially having seen its main character scrawl his plan to make a trillion bucks on the outside of a skyscraper with window-cleaning foam. Honestly, though, I was charmed by the show’s simplicity, both in its rudimentary character backstories and its back-to-basics direction. In our season preview, I pegged Trillion Game as a likely runt of the litter, visually speaking, but I didn’t have many issues with what it offered here. It’s not likely to turn any heads, but it does its job by keeping the strikingly designed characters front and center. Our partially dynamic duo dominates the episode in straightforward fashion, combining to provide a magnetic personality, computer wizardry, and multilingual ability in one package, and their first target has been established, too: the beautiful, independently-minded daughter of a major corporation’s president (who may have yakuza ties). Even if it means allowing a lot of bogus economics and business-related dialogue to hit my eardrums, I’m interested in giving Trillion Game another couple tries.
Potential: 50%

Lenlo: I don’t know what it is, but there’s something… off putting about Trillion Game’s character designs. I think it’s because of how round and pudgy they look? I’m not sure, all I really know is that the businessman lead has an incredibly punchable face. Though… maybe that’s the point? He initially comes across as a complete sleaze ball, but the more time we spend with him the more charismatic and likeable he becomes. And that charisma helps draw the quieter, technically inclined MC into the spotlight where he would otherwise just fade into the background. I’m not as sold on the actual story that’s being setup, as straightforward as it is – I’m not convinced Trillion Game can make economics interesting, especially because it was barely touched on at all. But I’m willing to give it a shot on what Wooper sees and the relationship between our two leads. Because that’s where I think Trillion Game will really live or die, Haru and Gaku’s relationship, their chemistry, and their rock solid friendship through it all.
Potential: 40%

Goodbye, Dragon Life

Short Synopsis: After being reincarnated as a human, a former dragon befriends a part-human, part-snake creature called a lamia.

Mario: Although we enter another generic fantasy world, there are some elements that actually raise this show above the water in my view. First, in a reverse-style, instead of humans incarnated as weird monsters, the MC was a dragon who is incarnated as a human. As a result, it makes total sense that he would be overpowered at this point. His dying words as a dragon also brings some rare wisdoms that we don’t find much in the light fantasy genre. Well, I admit that it’s not a high bar to clear, but so far Dragon Life hasn’t made any false steps yet. I also appreciate the fact that it incorporates another demihuman (like Lamia) but so far doesn’t make her fall heads over heels with our character. The main distraction for now is Dolan himself, except for the fact that he has dragon knowledge, he’s as blank as my homework notebook so he needs to do better in future episodes. I don’t necessarily think this show would break any new ground, but I can say that I’m willing to give it more tries.
Potential: 30%

Lenlo: To be frank, I really don’t understand what Mario is seeing in this. Sure, it’s not offensively bad or anything, there are far worse fantasy shows in this season alone, not to mention anime at large. The production is fine enough, the MC is a blank piece of cardboard but he’s also not a piece of shit. But there isn’t anything good about it either. Nothing to pull me in the same way I Parry Everything did, nothing to either set it apart or make note of. I suppose if you’re desperate for a fantasy show with an MC that thinks slightly differently, this may work for you. But personally, I think you’ll have better luck looking elsewhere this season, or maybe in previous seasons for things you missed.
Potential: 15%

Mecha-ude

Short Synopsis: A middle school boy rescues a sentient cube from pursuers, which then transforms into an inconvenient mechanical arm.

Wooper: Mecha-ude first aired as a one-shot ONA in 2018, depicting events that were a little further along in its story than what we got here. It’s hard for me to say which introduction to the series I prefer, since I didn’t like either of them all that much. The ONA started after Mecha-ude users Hikaru and Aki had already teamed up, but this time we get a proper origin story where Aki starts as an antagonist, since both she and the actual villain group are trying to steal what Hikaru has accidentally acquired. This results in a lot of running: running from drones, running from Aki, running from the teal-haired enemy who gets upset at being ignored…all without a destination other than “away from here.” Amid this chaos, the show must carry itself with its sense of style, which I’m sure some people will like more than I did. The thin linework and pose-heavy, seemingly Trigger-inspired action scenes certainly give the show a valid identity. It’s not one that I really appreciate, however – it looks more like an anime-inspired comic book than anything else. Hiroyuki Sawano’s bombastic contributions to the soundtrack are really out of place, too, not matching Hikaru’s disorganized scramble to survive in the slightest. Honestly, Mecha-ude is a bit of a mess, but it is an anime original with a bit of flash to its name, so hopefully it’ll turn things around soon.
Potential: 20%

365 Days to the Wedding

Short Synopsis: Two awkward co-workers decide to pretend to be married to avoid having to move to Alaska.

Amun: This was certainly a premiere. There was definitely about 15 minutes of characters and talking and a slipshod engagement party. You know what? I think once per season, each of us Starcrossed writers should be allowed to take the animation team for a show and switch it with one other show. Because “365 Days to the Wedding” really looked way better than the plot called for – give those fresh wrists to something more deserving! Now, I don’t really hate the map obsessed girl, or the planning out of the date, or even the drunken karaoke. It’s our male lead who is making me drowsy and questioning my anime choices in life. And just…why is it so awkward? Like not in a funny way, but in a “yeah, that’s about how that would go” way. I guess it’s at least realistic. Anyways, I’ll give it a few more, but we need some improvement (and a spine transplant) on our glasses guy, fast.
Potential: 25%

Mario: I admit that the premise didn’t interest me one bit – it’s one of those fake relationship tropes that you can tell ahead where it’s going miles away. But it’s in the details that makes this episode much better in my eyes. First, it focuses on the working adult demographic, which is always a welcome, and the situation our two mains find themselves in is, at the very least, believable. Second, our two leads are quite likable and have good chemistry together. They are both socially awkward individuals who want no trouble in their lives, but the more we learn about them the more we see other sides from them. Well, it wouldn’t hurt for the glasses guy to be more active, as so far it’s the girl’s scheme that drives the plot forward, but I’m in to see how these two loners start to realize their own feelings for one another.
Potential: 40%

NegaPosi Angler

Short Synopsis: Depressed man with 2 years to live and a bunch of gambling debts uses fishing to cope with his impending death and find meaning in his life.

Lenlo: Angler was much better than I was expecting it to be. The balance between serious depression, and goofy life changing fishing was pretty good! I liked that it didn’t really play his issues for laughs either. Angler spent a solid amount of time selling us on Tsunehiro’s mental state, making it clear how hard his diagnosis was hitting him and how little he had to live for. That made his revelation during fishing, something I expected to come off as corny or ham fisted, work surprisingly well. That life or death struggle with the fish, the dawn cresting the horizon as he finds a small bit of joy for the first time in a long time. It was good! I’m still not sure about the cast, and I don’t know how long Angler can keep this up for since it’s a full 12 episodes, but as far as pilots go I’m in.
Potential: 60%

Mario: Angler starts off on the wrong foot. While it’s understandable how down-of-his-luck our MC would feel when he’s given only 2 more years to live, his negative traits, plus his comical failed suicide attempts, nearly make him an unlikable lead to follow. It helps that the episode goes light-hearted in many of these scenes (in his attempt to run away from the loan sharks, we see his Moomin-like face and it’s hard not to chuckle along). And the second half balances this very well where it’s the newfound joy of fishing that pulls this guy back a big time. He’s a cynic who doesn’t care about getting involved in anything around him, so the fact that he gets sucked off fishing at the end is an achievement. This is a sleep hit of this season, but like Lenlo I am a bit wary how it will keep up with 12 episodes run.
Potential: 50%

DanMachi S5

Short Synopsis: Zeus’ grandson has all the hotties – humans, deities, and especially elves – chasing him (some literally).

Amun: This is going to come as a shock to all of you, but I’m very happy that DanMachi is back. In fact, this season is just looking fantastic – we have DanMachi, Natsume’s Book of Friends (which I’d given up hope of ever seeing again), Re:Zero, and some new blood like Dan Da Dan. And what a season of DanMachi it’s going to be!! Okay, look, I haven’t read ahead, because I want to experience the anime for the first time – but several years ago, I was reading up on the different arcs (with no spoilers), and apparently this arc is one of the better ones. Right away, it’s a BANGER. We’ve got romance in spades, new romantic rivals, Ryu feeling all sorts of ways after the deep dungeon adventure, we’ve got two quick skirmishes (that looked surprisingly good), one of which was a bit hilarious. And…yes, there’s that ED, but this season’s called the Goddess of Fertility arc, so what did you expect now? We finally get an arc of Syr, whose been steadily built up since the first season – she’s got all sorts of mystery and connection going on (and apparently some deity as well). All said and done….yes. This is going to be peak DanMachi. My only complaint is the best girl (who is admittedly fighting for her spot in absentia), Ais, is nowhere to be seen and isn’t even mentioned by her full name. She darn well better show up soon, since my guy Bell is in DANGER…..of living up to his rabbit name ;).
Potential: 100%

DAN DA DAN

Short Synopsis: A girl who believes in ghosts and a boy who believes in aliens both find what they’re looking for in the worst way possible.

Lenlo: I’m so torn on Dan Da Dan. On the plus side, it looks great, being both well directed and well animated. I know it’s early in the season, but it’s the best looking show I’ve seen so far. Seriously, the colors were beautiful, I loved how the Occult and Sci-Fi bits both had their own distinct palettes. I also really enjoyed the characters, both had a lot of personality and their banter was great. Special praise to the VAs, who really sold who these kids were and made it a joy to listen to them. It’s just… Does the humor have to be so sexually focused? Why did we need a scene all about our female lead being prepped for rape by aliens? Why does the Turbo Granny have to be obsessed with eating dicks? Some of it’s fine, gotta set up a cute romance between the leads, which it did well, I’m on board for that. It’s just… Kind of weird and uncomfortable in places? It’s not a huge knock, I can put up with it and hopefully it falls off as we go kind of like how Mineta did in My Hero Academia. But it is something I wish wasn’t there.
Potential: 80%

Amun: The heck did I just watch. I mean, it was fantastic, don’t get me wrong. Creepy Nuts on the OP delivers another great track (I’ve been a fan of every anime track they’ve done, starting with Call of the Night) – kind of surprising that it’s a bespoke track, but given how over the top everything else is in this episode, why not. Science Saru looks in great form, with brilliant colors, fluid fights, and generally top tier animation. Character designs are fantastic, and the world looks great too. Plus, the writing nicely ties in a bow with our lead’s name at the end – an unexpected nice touch. I definitely feel as though Mob Psycho accidentally got assigned the animation team from JJK…and the writers from Gintama. I have to agree with Lenlo on this – tone down the sexual humor. Like…is everyone okay over there? Just relax a bit, and you have an amazing show – plenty of quality material without granny eating dicks. Avoid going too far off the deep end there, and this is probably my anime of the season (yes, this season is looking stacked).
Potential: 99% – 1% per dick eaten

Blue Box

Short Synopsis: A soon-to-be high school badminton player draws a little closer to his crush, a freshman on the basketball team.

Wooper: Blue Box sure is proud of its 3DCG gym layout, huh? That winding shot where the camera snaked through its spacious interior, revealing dozens of computer animated athletes practicing their respective sports, all bathed in the morning light filtering through the windows, should have been impressive. Really, though, it had little to do with either Taiki or Chinatsu, despite showing off the place where they first met and now spend most of their time together. Blue Box just wants to look as dynamic as possible, even when it ought to take a step back, sort of like a battle shounen going overboard with effects animation while its characters are left to languish. That’s not to say that these two won’t become worthwhile romantic leads, however, especially not now that they’re living under the same roof. She credits him for revitalizing her competitive drive after one of their conversations, and he admires far more about her than her looks. But there’s no denying that looks are important – perhaps too important – to Blue Box itself, with all its backlit and soft focus character shots. I can see a good romantic dramedy emerging from this setup, especially since Taiki and Chinatsu are quite different people (playing individual and team sports, respectively), but it’ll need more scenes set where the show’s sparkling sunbeams can’t reach in order to undergo that evolution.
Potential: 45%

Lenlo: In trying to be both a romance anime and a sports anime, I can’t help but feel that Blue Box has missed the mark on both. On the romance side, I’m not particularly invested in any of the pairings. Maybe it’s too early to say this since we’re only one episode in, but I distinctly remember shows like Yubisaki drawing me right from the get go. Here meanwhile, I barely know anything about the female lead and the male is kind of just… obsessive? There isn’t much chemistry here is basically what I’m getting at. As for the sports side, I don’t think Blue Box really cares all that much for the two sports it has going on, nor does it have the production to back them up? Again, maybe I’m missing the point here and the sports stuff is just meant to be window dressing rather than actually plot relevant. Whatever the case, nothing about Blue Box really hooked me in any way. It looks good enough, and I know some friends who were reeled in, so I imagine some might get something out of it. But for me, this is an easy pass.
Potential: 25%

Acro Trip

Short Synopsis: A schoolgirl makes a pact with a clueless villain in order to increase the profile of a local magical girl.

Lenlo: Wooper basically has the right of it down below. While I respect the attempt to do something different, to shake up the Mahou Shoujo genre a bit, and I like it more than the blatant porno that was the BDSM Mahou Shoujo from a few seasons ago, Acro Trip doesn’t quite hit the mark. As Wooper says, it’s just too slow and quiet for this to really work. It feels closer to some kind of Mahou Shoujo Slice of Life than any kind of twist or subversion. Combine that with a lackluster production and really forgettable character designs, and I think you’d have a better time watching the currently airing Precure than this. At least that has a fanbase to enjoy it with, decent production, and according to some friends it’s getting pretty damn good. It’s still a Precure, but hey, if you’re in the market for a Mahou Shoujo you could do a lot worse.
Potential: 5%

Wooper: In order to keep our first impressions manageable, I typically go through each season’s full release schedule and pick a handful of shows to exclude. There are several mahou shoujo series airing this fall, so I chose one of them, Kabushikigaisha Magi-Lumiere (the PV for which was overrun with ugly 3DCG effects), to receive the axe. After watching Acro Trip, though, I wonder if I shouldn’t have chosen it instead – not because it was terrible, but because it’s not all that noteworthy. I say that having seen only the first of its two-part premiere, but it’s easy to guess where the series is headed even without watching that second half hour; the main character, a superfan of a magical girl named Berry Blossom, is going to team up with Berry’s incompetent nemesis in order to make her battles more exciting, and thus increase her appeal. We’ve been getting more anime like this in recent years – twists on isekai, super sentai, and mahou shoujo formulas where a character’s knowledge of or enthusiasm for a genre shapes their place within the story. Acro Trip is a middling entry in that subcategory, I’m afraid, with unexciting production and the sort of quiet vibe that sits at odds with its meta premise. With the exception of the relationship between the main girl and her grandpa (which actually benefited from that hushed atmosphere), I didn’t detect much here that might bring me back for part two.
Potential: 15%