Summer 2023 Impressions: Dekiru Neko wa Kyou mo Yuuutsu, TenPuru, Higeki no Genkyou to Naru Saikyou Gedou Last Boss Joou wa Tami no Tame ni Tsukushimasu.

Dekiru Neko wa Kyou mo Yuuutsu

Short Synopsis (Anichart): When Saku took in a stray black cat, she never expected that he would become the equivalent of a housekeeping life partner. But Yukichi, a giant cat who towers over Saku, is not your ordinary feline. He takes great pride in his culinary skills, and a good sale at the supermarket always gets his whiskers twitching. Saku may not have her act together yet, but at least she has Yukichi!

Amun: Ah, another GoHands crazy camera experience! This wasn’t as bad as their other show, but still – calm down with those camera angles. “Dekiru Neko” isn’t quite what I expected. I felt the floor was that slideshow Househusband and the ceiling of Dragon Maid. This is something else entirely. For starters, I’m not terribly happy that the giant cat doesn’t really talk – he just “tch”s. That’s honestly kind of annoying. I think the straight-man Saku is fine, but nothing special. There’s some early intrigue with the boss (plus the neighbors who have all just accepted this giant cat living there), but we’re probably in for a pretty tame, living-with-a-maid simulator. Honestly, the fact that there’s a show like this every couple seasons kind of worries me for Japan…you guys might need to do something about that individual isolation.
Potential: 30%

Lenlo: Jesus Christ someone stop giving GoHands money. Free their animators from the hell they have been forced into. Their shows are so close to looking fine, but they always slap these weird filters or stupid camera shots onto every scene for no better reason than because they can. It’s simultaneously impressive and infuriating. Like… I can’t even remember what this show was like narratively, all I can think of is the complete mess that is its production. Who thinks this looks good? Not me, that’s for sure.
Potential: GoHands must be stopped

TenPuru

Short Synopsis (Anichart): “I know! I’ll become a monk!” Akagami Akemitsu has spent his days and nights absorbed in studying and part-time work in an effort to distance himself from his family, which is notorious as a household of philanderers. One day, he falls in love at first sight with a girl named Aoba Yuzuki, and suddenly he’s constantly drowning in worldly desires. Hoping to fight back against his genes and live a more stoic life, he enters a temple… only to find out that it’s a convent filled with gorgeous girls! So begins a new rom-com about the temple life of three adorable triplets and two beautiful freeloaders!

Lenlo: You know what, as stupid and wish-fulfillment ecchi bullshit as this premise is, I chuckled a few times. Something about the idea of a monk actively trying to avoid worldly desires and sex, rather than simping over women 24/7, is funny to me. Don’t get me wrong, TenPuru is still ecchi trash bullshit with an opening shot of nothing but scantily clad women. Do not go into this expecting some kind of clever or high-brow comedy, it’s not. But you might get a few chuckles out of it like I did. For an episode or two at least.
Potential: 5%

Amun: I mean, I’ve seen worse. Like this season – there’s plenty of worse anime. But…there are also better ones. It comes down to how much you like the waifu character designs, since the premise is abysmally stupid. Shows like these are entirely about service, and “TenPuru” seems passable there. You know what you’re here for, so if this fills that slot for ya, go for it.
Potential: 10%

Higeki no Genkyou to Naru Saikyou Gedou Last Boss Joou wa Tami no Tame ni Tsukushimasu.

Short Synopsis (Anichart): Pride Royal Ivy is only eight years old when she realizes that she’s been reincarnated, destined to become the future wicked queen and final boss of an otome game. She’s got it all in this new life: razor-sharp wit, boss-tier powers, and influence over the kingdom as crown princess. Determined to sow despair and destruction across the land, she… Wait, what kind of a rotten future is that?! Princess Pride decides to drop the maniacal villainess plan and protect the male love interests instead, cheating her way to saving everyone she can! Will this final boss end up earning the adoration of her kingdom?

Lenlo: Ah, another “Reincarnate into an otome game” series. If I had a dollar for every time this has happened… Well I’d have like 3 dollars, but it’s really weird that it’s happened that many times. I suppose this is the new Isekai trend, and in a lot of ways I’m down for it. It’s a different, if not terribly unique, take on the genre and lends itself to a lot of amusing possibilities. For instance here there aren’t really a lot of OP powers, well there’s the precognition but that’s really just having played the game,, it’s more about being given the role of a villain and trying to avoid the otherwise inevitable ending they are destined for. That’s kind of nice. It’s still not really my thing, as it’s like watching a dating sim from the other direction, but I can see some people having fun with it.
Potential: 40%

Amun: It’s been a coinflip with these kinds of villainous isekai – but “Lastame” (as it’s apparently called) has potential. Nothing fancy in the plot, but I think the character switching from being a spoiled brat to a caring monarch after the isekai revelation is solid. Also interesting is the in-world mechanic of precognition, which allows the MC’s abilities to not be questioned – that’s a nice touch. Generally speaking, this is an obvious reverse-harem where our lead doesn’t understand everyone’s falling in love with her, but hey, that’s par for the course. The question is in execution, and from what we’ve seen this first episode, I think I’ll stick around for a few more.
Potential: 60%