Fall 2023 Impressions: Protocol: Rain, Butareba -The Story of a Man Turned into a Pig-, A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special

Protocol: Rain

Short Synopsis (Anilist): The story centers on Shun Tokinoya, a second-year high school living with his mother and younger sister. After his father’s death in an accident and his sister’s injury, he quit the game he was passionate about, and now works at an esports café called “FOX ONE.” He spends all his time studying and working part-time while hanging out with his childhood gaming friends. Suddenly, he learns that “FOX ONE” has a huge amount of debts. In order to repay the debts, Shun and his friends aim to win the “Xaxerion Championship” and win the prize money. With a sense of guilt, Shun jumps back into the world of online games, and is confronted by Bakuretsu-kun, who used to play the game with him.

I’ll say this for Protocol, as shit as the game looks, PS2 graphics and everything, this is one of the first “Video-game” anime I’ve seen that actually bothered to create a game people might actually play. Like they got the movement down, the poses, the first person perspective. It’s budget CS 1.6. And its depiction of fixing/caring for machines? Not bad. Is that enough to sell/watch an entire show off of? Of course not. But it’s something I can respect and praise. Maybe, if we’re lucky, that will translate into a passion for E-Sports across Protocol’s entire run. Sadly that isn’t enough to get me past a pretty basic “Hobby trauma” story and one-note characters, plus the weak production outside of the game itself. If you have a thing for E-Sports maybe give it a try and see if it clicks with you? I wouldn’t expect much out of it though.
Potential: 1%

Butareba -The Story of a Man Turned into a Pig-

Short Synopsis (Anilist): An unappealing otaku awakens in the body of a pig after he passes out while eating raw pig liver. Pig finds himself in the company of Jess, an innocent girl who can read people’s minds, and she accepts him despite his boorish thoughts… although she does plan to eat him. When Jess is in danger of succumbing to a dark destiny, can Pig save her using only his quick wits, wisdom, and refined sense of smell?

This is about pig-fucking. No I’m not joking, it’s literally just a hot girl lusting after an Isekai protagonist reincarnated as a goddamn pig. She has a collar and everything too. There’s not really much to say beyond that. This show is garbage. It’s literally pig-fucking garbage. Do not watch it. I wish I hadn’t.
Potential: Don’t Fuck a Pig.

A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special

Short Synopsis (Anilist): Another dimension that continues to taint our world, the Shadow World. Humanity is faced with the worst calamity, known as the Shadow Labyrinth. In spite of their desperate attacks, Desir Herrman and his friends lose their battle to the Destruction Dragon, Boromir Napolitan, and the world comes to an end. When Desir is convinced of his end, he opens his eyes… to find himself 13 years in the past. Desir has gone back in time to the enrollment ceremony of Hebrion Academy, the top school for mages in the Empire.

This is the point in seasonal previews where I start to get tired of watching the same shlock over and over again and just get really blunt about things. So here goes: The CGI dragon sucks, nothing about it is particularly visually appealing and I’m just sort of done with school settings. Returner is basically Ragna Crimson, what with its time travel, memories and OP MC, except far less edgier. Maybe to some that’s a bonus. But to me it takes the only bit of teeth, the only thing that made Ragna possibly worth watching, and… scrubs to clean. There’s no meat to this. We have better revenge shows, better time travel shows and better fantasy shows all in this very season. I don’t see why you’d watch this.
Potential: 0%