Wooper: With the low-output Summer 2020 season in the books, our weekly summary posts are going back to their roots: talking about currently-airing shows that aren’t receiving full episodic coverage. There are a bunch of extra shows we’re following this fall, and though some will surely wear out their welcome before the year’s end, the present freshness of the season has us in the mood to chat about them. It looks like it’s just me this time around, but I expect that some of the other writers will chime in over the next 10 or 11 weeks. For now, you can scroll down for one man’s thoughts on a handful of the season’s more underrated shows.
Dragon Quest: Dai no Daibouken 02
Wooper: I know we’re only two episodes in, but this adaptation of Dai no Daibouken isn’t letting up on the gas. Princess Leona’s introduction flew by in what felt like minutes, thanks to her companions’ betrayal arising so quickly. Her magic tutor in particular turned out to be the sort of unhinged villain you don’t see too often in modern anime, which meant that his fight against Dai turned into a yelling match within the first few seconds. On the plus side, the CG during their battle was used to tremendous effect, showcasing Dai’s acrobatic abilities as he ran circles around the tutor’s mech before delivering the crushing blow. Despite the script’s efforts to paint him as an untalented mage, Dai’s physical strength and instinctive use of spells in high pressure situations make him way, way stronger than the average shounen protag. He may be the Chosen One, but I hope the story chooses some more powerful opponents to put in his path pretty soon. We are meeting new major characters with each passing episode, though, so for now I’ll patiently await Popp’s introduction and see how things progress from there.
Hypnosis Mic: Division Rap Battle 02
Wooper: After a wild premiere that jumped between four different rap groups, Hypnosis Mic settled down with a single trio (the Buster Bros) this week. I’ve got to say, the results were better than expected – even though the younger siblings’ idolization of their older brother Ichiro makes for tiresome conversation, the show does make a convincing hero out of him. He always shows up to save the day, he defends innocent people during a hostage situation, and he’s got so much love for his little bros that all his rap verses celebrate their partnership. The hip-hop numbers are still the best thing about the series by far, bursting as they are with cool poses, dynamic colors, on-screen lyrics, and song-ending explosions. Even when the Bros aren’t conducting their musical onslaughts, though, Hypnosis Mic can be pretty fun. The moment when a stick-up artist pulled back his jacket to reveal a bunch of illegal microphones – which the cops treated as though they were guns – cracked me up. You love to see a ridiculous show like this one embrace its gimmick so wholeheartedly.
Maou-jou de Oyasumi 02
Wooper: I don’t know how long it’ll be before Maou-jou de Oyasumi stops entertaining me and starts putting me to sleep, but I’m still wide awake as of week 2. This episode had new monster types to abuse, new sleep-related quests to complete, and new levels of selfishness for our starry-eyed princess to reach. She employed a lot of the same methods this time around – calling for her bear companions to spring her from jail, conning an enchanted suit of armor into fetching a rare item for her, etc. – but there were a few novelties, as well. My favorite of those was the wordless smile she gave to a room full of the Demon King’s advisors after swiping their sleeping potion, as though staying mute would improve her case. The princess is certainly resourceful, but tactical would probably be too big a stretch. We also spent a bit of time with the heroes trying to rescue her and the bespectacled Siberian Husky who acts as her warden, but these seemed like distractions rather than features, at least in my eyes. I suppose it’s a troubling sign that the series’ attempts to expand its cast are only a minor draw, but what can I say? Princess Syalis is a girl after my own slothful heart.
Majo no Tabitabi 02
Wooper: This episode felt like a second pilot to me, with Elaina in the teacher’s seat instead of the student’s. It’s got a simple story: her pupil secretly swipes her witch’s brooch, keeping Elaina anchored in town until she finds it, thus guaranteeing the little thief some company. Majo no Tabitabi is neither the first story nor the first anime to bust out the Thief with a Heart of Gold trope, and its overuse of narration prevents it from improving on the formula. Elaina is so busy talking directly to the audience or herself, in fact, that the show forgets to build a meaningful connection between her and the brooch poacher. There’s a whiff of one-sided attraction between the two girls, but a bit of blushing as Elaina demonstrates proper wind magic technique isn’t a substitute for actual bonding. Neither is backstory delivery, which was the crux of thief girl’s miniature arc, but nevertheless failed to sell me on her character’s actions. I know there’s only so much you can do with 20-odd minutes, but this wasn’t the second offering that I wanted from Majo no Tabitabi – here’s hoping Elaina visits somewhere more interesting in the third.
