Sakamoto Days

Short Synopsis: A legendary hitman falls in love, retires, has a kid and grows fat. But what will he do when his old life comes looking for him once again?

Lenlo: I remember reading Sakamoto Days back when it was a newly released manga. It was a clever enough comedy series in the vein of One Punch Man, all about putting an absurdly OP lead in comically everyday situations, occasionally juxtaposed with a serious look into how sad and empty the life of an assassin truly was. Most of that is successfully carried into the anime, with the combat especially getting a glow-up with decent animation. The soul of the series is all here, complete with recurring bad guys from the underworld so we can constantly jump between wholesome family time and underground serious time, similar to SpyXFamily in a way. The issue is that, much like how the manga fell off for me, I don’t expect the anime to be able to keep the premise fun and interesting for the entire run. You can only watch the same thing, the same basic formula, so many times before you get bored of it. And that’s my main concern for Sakamoto Days. I’ll watch it for a bit, see if it manages to work better as an anime than it did as a manga, but as fun as it is for now I don’t expect to keep up with it for the entire season.
Potential: 40%

Giramasu

Short Synopsis: An overworked Guild Receptionist is actually the strongest hero in the kingdom, defeating monsters after hours so she can clock out on time.

Lenlo: Giramasu is… fine? It’s another classic OP MC fantasy show, but instead of an edgy boy you get an overworked register employee beating up monsters to go home on time. Is it unique? Enough I suppose, the lead is definitely more interesting than our usual fair and her motivations are understandable. But that’s really all it has going for it, the side cast are basically non-existent and this shtick of “I want to go home early” won’t stay novel forever. Meanwhile everything else about it is still a basic OP MC “Special skill no one else has” premise. There’s a chance the show does something interesting with her identity being found out so quickly, and Rie Takahashi’s vocal is pretty good. For me personally though, I’m just not interested.
Potential: 25%

Übel Blatt

Short Synopsis: Rumors stir throughout the land: when the wielder of the black sword draws his dark blade, all who stand in its path are torn asunder

Lenlo: Do you like edge? Cause that’s exactly what Ubel Blatt is, through and through. Think Ragna Crimson, except without the self-awareness to know what it is and what it’s doing. On its own that wouldn’t be so bad, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying some edge. But it also has this weird focus on a little girl’s body, dressing her up in a lewd outfit and having the villains get… weird around her. It sort of does this to everyone to an extent, so I guess it isn’t that weird, but it’s still unnecessary and when combined with the barely restrained edge the whole thing ends up feeling like a 14 year olds first “Dark Fantasy” story. Maybe it goes somewhere, but I’m not interested enough to find out.
Potential: 5%

Honey Lemon Soda

Short Synopsis: A high school wallflower becomes enamored with a blond-haired boy who later stands up to a trio of bullies on her behalf.

Wooper: My days of calling myself a shoujo fan may be coming to an end, since I rarely jive with the genre’s modern offerings. Case in point: I wasn’t expecting much from HLS, and it still disappointed me. Its female protagonist, Uka Ishimori, is so unbelievably timid – and her high school bullies are such unbelievable dicks – that it’s hard to feel bad for her, despite the soundtrack’s habit of drenching scenes with reverberating piano tracks. The writing just isn’t there, as her crush’s connection to her is virtually nonexistent, being predicated on a 30 second encounter on the street that somehow convinced her to change her high school of choice. His insistence that she rely on him to repel her tormentors is vaguely manipulative – if he really wanted to protect her, why not just do it instead of making her ask for help one syllable at a time? Some of the language Uka uses when thinking about him is pretty embarrassing, as well, whether she’s rejoicing over his ordinary morning greeting or “tingling” at his presence (I sincerely hope the latter was merely a poor translation). If I had to locate a positive here, it’d be that a few of Uka’s reaction faces were endearingly nonplussed – apart from those shots, though, I didn’t enjoy this premiere in the least.
Potential: 0%

Lenlo: As overdone as highschool romances are, this one felt especially bad. What kind of romance starts with a guy throwing soda in a girl’s face and being an asshole about it? The show kind of tries to walk this back with him changing and covering for her in class and such, it’s very clearly going for the “Asshole with a heart of gold” approach, but I never really bought into him being anything other than a dick. I get wanting a confident or standoffish lead, Yubisaki to Renren had a good one last year which we might or might not talk about in our Anime of the Year post coming soon, but this one just comes off as a quiet girl being unnaturally forced into a relationship with a domineering asshole.
Potential: 0%

The Red Ranger Becomes an
Adventurer in Another World

Short Synopsis: It says right there in the title. Trigger warning: terrible CG fires everywhere.

Mario: “Red Ranger Isekai” has one neat central idea. That being his Red Ranger ability, which is totally overpowered and messes up this world’s logic, with costume transformations in the blink of an eye, random musical cues and gadgets talking whenever he transforms, and explosions!! I do wish that either the writing or production values would step up to bring the craziness to the next level, though. For instance, the previous-life sequence (this is an isekai, after all) would have worked much better if it was a parody, but instead they play it straight. It would have been hilarious if he got smashed immediately before killing the demon king, for example. In addition, the characters so far are thinly written, with one significant trait and not much else. The CG is… actually, the less I say about it the better. I suppose our writer Amun might enjoy it, but I reckon it’s strictly for isekai junkies.
Potential: 10%

Baban Baban Ban Vampire

Short Synopsis: A vampire employed at a public bathhouse embarks on a mission to preserve the virginity of his underage human fixation.

Wooper: I imagine that most reactions to Baban Baban Ban Vampire will range from disinterest to disgust, but I actually thought this episode was alright. The premise of a vampire who fell in love with a grade school kid and has been biding his time before he turns 18 is nasty, of course, but this show is quite upfront about its comedic intentions, and about the lechery of its vampiric protagonist Ranmaru. He gets not one, but two Hisoka-style erections when considering the pure-heartedness of Rihito, the now-teenage heir to the bathhouse where he works nights, but the show doesn’t settle for pointing and laughing at how perverse this is. Rather, it uses Ranmaru’s obsession with purity as a springboard to joke about his ancient expectations for human behavior, or to flash back to his love affair with Oba Nobunaga in the late 16th century. It’s clear that his schemes to ruin Rihito’s chances of having sex will be incompetently executed, and I’m kind of interested to see how he’ll make a mess of things despite his fantastical abilities. There was also a nicely animated Michael Jackson dance homage near the start of the episode, and I enjoyed the dimwitted voice performance from the actor playing Rihito’s father. I wouldn’t recommend that just anyone run out and download this show, but personally, I’ll give it another couple episodes before (most likely) dropping it.
Potential: 25%

Tasokare Hotel

Short Synopsis: When someone dies, they are placed in-between worlds at a strange hotel where they must find clues about themselves and decide whether to go to heaven or return to Earth.

Mario: Have you ever been to an escape room? Well, this episode offers something akin to being in an escape room trying to figure a way out, with a Death Parade twist (geez, that show is… 10 years old now). Our main girl must find clues within her room to learn who she was, why she died and all that jazz. That premise might not appeal to all audiences, but for me what makes it fare a bit better is how it also focuses on the eccentric staff in this hotel. So much so that it actually makes sense when the main heroine decides to remain there to work. Along the way of finding out why she died, she ends up helping another customer first. That section – while still interesting – is amongst my least favorite parts of the episode. For instance, it required knowledge that our main girl just happened to have learned in her past life, which feels too far-fetched. I do enjoy the interior designs of the hotel, as well as the character designs of the cast. Overall, I wouldn’t mind watching more episodes of this.
Potential: 30%

The Apothecary Diaries S2

Short Synopsis: More Apothecary Diaries.

Lenlo: With Lakan out of the picture, Apothecary Diaries has, mostly, managed to return to its previous level of quality. The directing and storyboarding is a bit lackluster, I can’t think of any scenes or shots that really stood out to me the same way portions of the original did, but the dynamic between Jinshi and Mao Mao is still there, as is all of the palace politics. Regretfully though, there’s no major thread or story really setup in the first episode, giving me very little to judge the upcoming arcs on. Will it be some of the good stuff, like the early arcs surrounding the concubines? Or will it be more on the mediocre end, like the metal-workers or Lakan? Only time will tell, and Apothecary Diaries has been good enough in the past that I’m willing to pay attention and hear it out for a bit, but I’m not convinced Apothecary Diaries has the consistency to keep me interested.
Potential: 45%

Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf!

Short Synopsis: A Japanese salaryman shows an elf from his dreams around Tokyo after she wakes up in his bed.

Wooper: The most refreshing thing about this show is that Marie, the titular elf, doesn’t feel the need to hide her fondness for the main character, nor for the strange human world to which she was involuntarily summoned. “Nihon e Youkoso, Elf-san” still engages in plenty of tropeyness – Marie is a big-chested fantasy babe who wakes up naked in the male protagonist’s bed, after all – but she also has an unreserved personality and an infectious love of new experiences. She reacts excitedly at the prospect of exploring Tokyo, inquires about Japanese landmarks and customs with interest, and doesn’t hesitate to slip her hand around the protagonist’s arm as they walk down a path lined by cherry trees. As for the main character himself, he’s an inoffensive mid-twenties office worker whose favorite hobby is sleeping – I can’t exactly blame him, since his dreams reliably transport him to an (apparently real) fantasy world, but he does come off as more than a bit boring. Even he gets a couple good jokes, though, such as sneaking up on a monster in a temple only to give him a high five and reveal their friendship to Marie. The vibes are good all around, so even if I’ll never watch another episode of Ms. Elf, I’d call this premiere a success.
Potential: 25%

Zenshuu

Short Synopsis: An anime director dies eating bad clam and is teleported to the world of their favorite movie, finally having the chance to change the outcome.

Lenlo: As much as it tries to appear as something more, playing up the 90’s fantasy anime style and tropes as well as a “darker” story, Zenshuu really is just another Isekai show, complete with an OP MC. Initially I thought her OP power would just be perfect knowledge, this being a movie she’s seen a ridiculous amount of times before. Instead, she’s basically able to re-write reality however she wants, creating monsters and weapons for whatever is needed. Now yes, it looks fantastic. Zenshuu had some absolutely stunning setpieces, the lead’s “transformation” being so over the top I almost thought she was about to become a magical girl. It almost feels like a fluff piece if I’m being honest, like they wanted to create some kind of mix between Shirobako and an isekai, to celebrate what it means to animate. Sadly though it leans way more into the Isekai part, complete with all the narrative trappings that involves. Maybe it will improve as the show goes on, I’m willing to stick around a bit to find out, but I don’t have high hopes.
Potential: 35%

Amun: Oops, I definitely did not understand what this show was about before watching the premiere. I thought this was going to be about a mangaka who learned about romance and had some imaginative anime experiences. I did not expect said mangaka to be thrown into an isekai with a super powered pen! Zenshuu is very disjointed visually – some parts look AMAZING (magical girl transformation, parts of the big fight scene), then others look extremely dated – basically all the “other-world-of-the-anime” characters. It’s a bit unpleasant, because you know the show can look better than it does. I’m kind of interested (the drawing superpower reminds me of Undead Unluck, which was pretty decent). For one of the higher touted non-sequels though, my expectations have been severely tempered.
Potential: 45%

Dr. Stone: Science Future

Short Synopsis: Season 4 of Dr. STONE.

Lenlo: I’ll admit, I’m basing a lot of this score on what I know to be coming rather than the episode itself. With multiple cours coming it’s all but guaranteed this is taking us to the end of the series, and there’s loads of great stuff in there. Dr. Xeno is, without question, the best villain in the series, and everything that happens in America between him and Senku is great. The issue is that the arc takes a bit to really get started, as seen with this sort of transitory episode as Dr. STONE reminds us of where we are, what we’re doing, and reintroduces the whole cast. An issue with long-running series I suppose, because there’s really no way around it. Still, production looks about the same as previous seasons, all of the character dynamics are still there, and I have a lot of faith in this team to see this final fantastic arc through.
Potential: 60%

Promise of Wizard

Short Synopsis: A young woman is summoned to another world as their Great Sage, destined to lead all of the hot young ikemen into battle.

Lenlo: Look, this is just a reverse harem show, there’s nothing else here. Girl gets dragged into another world on some bogus mishap, a bunch of hot guys come to save her while pledging themselves as her knights, there are some homoerotic undertones to all of the guys’ interactions with each other, that’s basically it. The show doesn’t look good, the designs are mediocre and differentiated almost entirely on hair color, and most of the episode takes place in like… one location. It’s just not very good.
Potential: 0%

Medalist

Short Synopsis: A young girl learns to figure skate against her mother’s wishes while her coach lives his dreams through teaching her.

Lenlo: Been a while since our last figure skating anime, only one I can remember was Yuri on Ice. Where that was all about the highest levels of competition though, big flash moves and Olympic level events, Medalist takes a more traditional, ground up approach. We get to see a girl learn the sport from the start, growing and learning the whole way. Meanwhile her teacher gets to live his dreams vicariously through her. And it’s that relationship that sets Medalist apart from other sports series for me. We’re not just following kids, highschoolers, and their naive “I will win at any cost” attitude like we so often do. Her coach is just as important as she is, in fact he’s the point-of-view character for basically the entire episode. His desire to see her succeed, to prove everyone wrong about it being too late to learn, to live that dream he gave up on in his youth, is just as important as her own story. And you know what? I bought it. I’m not sure if the production will keep up, if their dynamic will work for an entire series or what kind of development and growth they will go through, but I want to see what Inori and Tsukasa can do.
Potential: 60%

Mario: Let me start first by saying I believe Medalist has all the right ingredients to be a sleeper hit of this season, or at least to gather some passionate followers. This premiere does its job competently – introducing two lead characters who are different in personality and age but are passionate about figure skating, and laying a solid foundation for the girl Inori to be trained by Tsukasa. I’m not entirely sold on the whole ordeal, though. First, I found the mix between melodrama and comedy doesn’t really mesh well together. There are a few scenes, especially involving Tsukasa, that aim to lighten the mood right in the middle of a conflict, which gave me tonal whiplash. Also it tends to amp up its drama – Inori is on the verge of tears most of the time and I think the show will mine that. But most of all, as someone who has a high performance sports background, what sticks out to me – in a bad way – is Tsukasa’s lack of qualification. He is unprepared to take on the coach’s role and has no concrete plan whatsoever to coach his new pupil. The way he screams to make her mother accept his proposal, for example, is a big no-no in real life. On the positive spectrum, I quite enjoy the animation plus the choreography (not flashy, but does its job), and the chemistry between the two leads is solid. Yep, so despite some minor issues, I still think we ended up with a winner here.
Potential: 50%

Hana wa Saku, Shura no Gotoku

Short Synopsis: After much convincing, a shy first year high schooler agrees to join the broadcasting club.

Wooper: Hana wa Saku is one of the only winter shows for which I had any real expectations, mostly on the basis of the source manga’s authorship (it’s by the author of the Hibike Euphonium novels). Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to those hopes – this episode was about as simple as premieres get when it comes to high school club anime. In the words of sophomore student Mizuki, “Where there’s a flower, you water it. Where there’s a promising first year student, you recruit her.” And that’s just what Mizuki does, asking protagonist Hana (whose name means “Flower,” get it?) over and over to join the broadcasting club, sensing that she has a knack for their style of poetry recitations. The way the entire episode hinges on the question of whether Hana will accept her invitation is too simple by half. After expressing a dislike of her own lack of self-confidence during a sleepover with Mizuki, her doubts about her own abilities are washed away after the older girl demands that she join the club once more, but this time with picturesque sun rays peeking through the clouds. Even the inflexible ferry schedule that would have prevented Hana from joining gets adjusted for the sake of her membership. The direction dramatizes some of the recitations with visual metaphors like train tracks and grasping vines, which is nice, but it’s not enough to elevate the rest of this episode.
Potential: 20%

From Bureaucrat to Villainess

Short Synopsis: A 52 year old salaryman is reincarnated as the villainess of an otome game.

Wooper: The most notable moment of Akuyaku Reijou Tensei Ojisan, at least for me, was one that made me feel totally out of step with modern anime. In a flashback to the main character’s life prior to his reincarnation, he spoke with his otaku daughter about ringlets being the preeminent hairstyle for shoujo antagonists. To prove his point, he mentioned Glass Mask, Aim for the Ace, and Candy Candy, to which his daughter replied, “Sorry, Dad. Those references are way too old for me to get.” I’ve never related more strongly to a half-century-old salaryman than I did to this one in that moment – thankfully, he spends most of this premiere failing upwards in one of his daughter’s otome games, rather than getting roasted for his old-ass taste in anime. The good social instincts he developed after three decades of office work allow him to effortlessly rehabilitate the image of the ringlet-haired villainess whose body he now inhabits, and he gets to enjoy the benefits of youth once more. There’s even a charming scene during an academic lecture where he celebrates his improved vision and page-turning abilities. I’m not an expert on this subgenre, but this is one of the better otome-themed premieres I’ve seen in nearly eight years of doing first impressions. It won’t make my winter watchlist (at this rate, almost nothing will), but it’s not bad at all.
Potential: 30%