Author: Lenlo

16bit Sensation: Another Layer

Short Synopsis: Konoha Akisato is an illustrator that loves beautiful girls and bishojo games. Her dream is to become a super-popular illustrator, so she is working hard at a bishojo game production company, but reality isn’t that kind… With the golden age of social network games in full force, Konoha’s company isn’t doing well, and she works as a sub illustrator, spending her days painting the backs of random background characters until she is mysteriously transported to the year 1992!

16bit is just dull. The idea is cute, a girl loves making bishoujo games but is stuck in a failing industry in a dead-end job. She gets a lucky break, finds some classics for cheap in an old shop, before getting teleported 30 years back into the past where she will most likely work in the golden era of her beloved genre. The only problem is that 16bit fails to make me interested in bishoujo games, in any way whatsoever. I’m not asking that it makes me fall in love with them. That’s not something you can do in a single episode. But it does need to make me interested, to make me believe why someone else could love them how our lead does, to present an argument about why they are special. And it just doesn’t do that. So it ends up failing for me on the most basic of levels.
Potential: 0%

KamiErabi GOD.app

Short Synopsis (Anilist): The ultimate battle royale for divinity has begun. High schoolers must use their unique powers to compete against each other for the coveted title “God.” But as each brawl becomes more vicious than the last, alliances are formed and betrayals take place. Who will emerge victorious and claim their godly throne?

For the first ½ of its runtime KamiErabi is kind of… bad. It looks like shit, the designs are shit, the world is shit and the story is pretty damn run of the mill. I mean seriously, a death game with magic powers to determine who is going to be the next god? How many times have we seen this before? And why do all of the character designs look like strippers with those sleeveless shirts? The one saving grace it had was how wrong the world felt, and even that got ruined by our MC randomly jacking it to his crush. I was ready to write this show off. Then the 2nd ½ happened and… Well I still think it’s kinda bad, just over the top edgy bullshit. But at least it looked a slight bit better? It got a lot more visually stylized, some cool colors, and the stupid power system made its appearance? KamiErabi still isn’t good, and I doubt it ever will be. At least it’s not “Dear god why did this get made” bad. Instead it’s just regular “I won’t watch this” bad.
Potential: -5% (So its still below 16bit)

Paradox Live THE ANIMATION

Short Synopsis (Anilist): Saturated in hip hop culture comes the birth of a new movement known as “Phantom Live ”. Each of the artists have a metal accessory known as “Phantom Metal” which chemically reacts to the wearer’s emotions to produce an image, setting a magnificent stage for enthusiastic youths. With legendary club “CLUB paradox” hosting the mysterious Paradox Live, four teams: BAE, The Cat’s Whiskers, cozmez and Akanyatsura each receive an invitation to participate, each with their own genre of music in a race to the top. Each of the four teams go into the competition for a reason. As the competition heats up, so do the unimaginably large motives each of them hides…

I really really want to shit talk Paradox Live. It’s a boy band idol show about a bunch of hot guys in a music tournament. We get some of these every year and 90% of them are shit. And if I’m being honest, Paradox Live is probably just as shit as the rest. The odds it’s the one decent combat idol show of the year is low. And yet… It isn’t 0. Paradox Live is up there with some of the best looking shows of the season. From the effects-ridden performances, which might be to much for some but hey it’s an idol show just deal with it, to some really good expression work, Paradox Live just looks… good. On top of that, it seems to have some darker undertones mixed in with something sinister going on in the background. The main thing holding it back is just how hit or miss the music is. I get it, music is subjective. But in this case I wasn’t a fan. Rap and hip hop just aren’t my genres, so if that’s going to be the main style of the show then it’s going to have to be a pass for me. If you do like those though I think Paradox Live might be a good time for you.
Potential: 40%

Bullbuster

Short Synopsis (Anilist): Mysterious creatures have been terrorizing an island, forcing locals to flee their once-thriving home. With government funds lacking for monster eradication, Tajima purchases the only construction company left and transforms it for the task. Thankfully, the brilliant Testurou Okino and his new robot, Bullbuster, come to their aid. But the team is on a tight budget. Can they save the island?

Bullbuster was, as kindly as I can put it, fine. It’s a more lighthearted take on mecha kaiju battles. The world isn’t at stake, mankind hasn’t been pushed to the brink, it’s just a run-down company dealing with overgrown rats on an island until the infestation is cleared out. Will it have some drama? Probably. Are people at risk of dying? Supposedly but I don’t believe it. Is it fun? A little. I can also say that the production seems solid. The giant rat things and mechs look fine, clearly CGI but it’s not the worst I’ve seen and the characters are at least 2D. There’s even some cool animation in there of a guy playing the drums! Yet nothing about it made me go “wow”, nothing really drew me in and got me invested enough to care, or even just to watch a 2nd episode.
Potential: 25%

I’m Giving the Disgraced Noble Lady I Rescued a Crash Course in Naughtiness

Short Synopsis (Anilist): Allen Crawford is a misanthropic sorcerer known as the “Dark Lord.” When he comes across Charlotte Evans, a noblewoman exiled on false charges, his memories of being betrayed three years ago come rushing back. He decides to teach Charlotte about all the pleasures, vices, and joys of naughty living. Can a broken heart be mended with riotous living? These two are bound to find out!

Surprisingly enough, as deceptive as the title may be, this isn’t actually an ecchi piece of shit. In fact it’s much more wholesome than that, with the Demon Lord saving a wrongfully banished noble lady of a neighboring nation and endeavoring to teach her how to have some fun with her life. Eating sweets, hanging out, all the stuff she didn’t get to do before. I assume it will eventually become ecchi bullshit, the name just lends itself to that. But if Crash Course can dodge that, dodge some great meta plot “Stop the demon lord/evil king” and stick to cute wholesomeness, it might actually not be a waste of your time. Personally I won’t be watching it, this isn’t my thing. But for people who just want to unwind after a day at work and pick up something relaxing? Well this is a valid option, at least for now.
Potential: 15%

Migi & Dali

Short Synopsis (Anilist): The boy’s name was Hitori. A stork brought the angel into the lives of a middle-aged couple who were not blessed with children. His parents were kind, his house spacious, and his meals hot. But to protect the happiness he had received, Hitori continued to hide an important secret from his parents…

I’ll admit, any show that opens playing Clare de lune over the scene of a murder on Christmas Eve automatically has my attention. Partly because I love the song, partly because it’s a ballsy way to start. Written by Nami Sano, the author of Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto, I had no idea what to think of Migi & Dali. Would it be a comedy with some dark undertones like Sakamoto? Or would it be more of a legitimate horror with some wackiness involved? Whatever it was, I knew it wouldn’t be “normal”. And after watching this pilot I can confidently say… I still have absolutely no idea what I just watched. This is easily one of the most unnerving series I have watched in a long time, from the way it presents itself to the very premise itself. It’s creepy in the same way a doll moving on its own is cute but you know it shouldn’t be doing what it is, that it shouldn’t work. That was sort of my experience with Migi & Dali. It’s completely harmless pranks, but it’s presented with incredibly sinister undertones. Combine that with an opening scene and an ED hinting at far more than we know and… Well I have to stick with it. I have to know, to stare into this abyss and see if it stares back into me. Hopefully it’ll be good and pay back my dedication.
Potential: 70%

A Playthrough of a Certain Dude’s VRMMO Life

Short Synopsis (Anilist): Tanaka Taichi is just an ordinary 38-year-old who enjoys video games. He starts a new virtual reality multiplayer game called One More Free Life Online, naming his character Earth. Unlike his fellow players, he decides to master the most menial of skills in the game. He cooks the finest meals, overbrews complicated potions, and hunts monsters with handmade weapons. His fantasy life begins!

Certain Dude has the unfortunate problem of airing in the same season as Shangri-la. As a fellow VRMMO Isekai anime, the two are inevitably going to be compared to each other. And unsurprisingly, Certain Dude does not come out well. I could talk about the bland visuals, the dull narration, the mediocre characterization of basically everyone we see, even how they are blatantly color coded. Instead however I’ll just point you to the single comparison between these two shows that epitomizes their differences: The character creation process. Where Shangri-la’s was full of life, color, movement, and actual jokes, Certain Dude’s was 2 minutes of absolutely nothing. And that sort of comparison extends from the leveling process to the combat. In other seasons, maybe you could have some fun with it. But in Fall 2023 I see absolutely no reason to give this a second glance.
Potential: 0%

I’m in Love with the Villainess

Short Synopsis (Anilist): The world turns upside down when a corporate drone wakes up as Rae Taylor, the heroine in her favorite otome game, Revolution. Rae is elated at the opportunity to court Claire François, the game’s villainess and the object of her affection. Armed with her knowledge of the game and events to come, Rae sets out to make Claire fall for her. But how will the villainess take Rae’s romantic advances?

This is… fine? Villianous didn’t waste any time on any bullshit, jumping right in with being stuck in the game and the professions of love. Admittedly romance isn’t my favorite genre, but I’m always down for one from the girls perspective, especially one that plays it as straight as Villainous appears to be. And by straight I mean that the lead knows exactly what they want from the start, no pussy footing around the subject. It’s also a little funny how easily the “lead boys” are brushed aside, as well as our lead being a hardcore masochist. Usually this is presented in a much creepier fashion, but here it’s treated much more light heartedly. Overall Villainous seems cute, I had a bit of fun with how earnest the romance was without any creepy or ecchi bits. If you like romance more than I do, or are specifically looking for a Lesbian one, this would probably be a good bet for you. As for me? Not really up my alley, even if I understand why some could appreciate it.
Potential: 35%

The Family Circumstances of the Irregular Witch

Short Synopsis (Anilist): When witch Alyssa found a baby on her doorstep, she didn’t expect her life to take a topsy-turvy turn. Despite her bewilderment, she names the child Viola and decides to raise her. Fast-forward 16 years, and her “daughter” Viola isn’t just taller—she’s towering! Join this bewitching duo in a hilariously chaotic journey of mistaken identities and supernatural shenanigans!

So I’ll admit, when I first heard of this show I got the roles completely mixed up. I thought the buxom tall bombshell was the witch while the short blonde was the daughter, a fair assumption I think. So watching these 2 episodes and being corrected on that, as well as learning that the girl with tits the size of her head was 16. Sadly I can’t say this is a welcome change, because it sets the show up to be a lot… weirder down the line. It also doesn’t help that, and I will freely admit this, a fluffy slice of life fantasy isn’t really my wheelhouse. Still if it can keep away from the ecchi and focus on the more “found family” aspect and hijinks as it seems to be doing, I think some of you SoL enjoyers will be able to have a decent time with it. I know one friend who’s already drooling over Viola too, the weirdo.
Potential: 20%

SHY

Short Synopsis (Anilist): On the brink of a third World War, superheroes appeared on Earth. Gifted with powers, their appearance brings peace to the world. The heroes each selected a country in which they would reside, serve, and protect its citizens. Shy is Japan’s hero, endowed with super strength. Her most daunting enemy yet? Crippling shyness. Join Shy and her super friends as she defends Earth and gains confidence!

So SHY is basically super heroes, complete with a Justice League style space station, with a bit of Magical Girl and Madoka Magica thrown in. Ok maybe I’m reaching with that last one, but nothing you say or do will convince me to trust the flying mascot pokemon named ABO. Anyways, my initial impressions of SHY are… disinterest? Unlike other hero stories, like My Hero Academia, this is a much more traditional hero setting where only a select few have powers. Our main heroine, Shy, also isn’t particularly interesting on her own, the most compelling part of her story/the episode coming more from her treatment on social media and the age-old comic book question of “Why are heroes heroes”. If that was the subject of the show, if we were going to stick to more street-level conflict ala Spider-Man I could get into it. But already SHY is setting us up for a globe spanning conflict that it hasn’t yet earned. Maybe that will change as we go, I know some friends absolutely adore SHY, and so for them I’m going to give it a few more episodes. But my initial impression is that there are better action shows this season and better super hero media out there in general.
Potential: 25%

Ron Kamonohashi’s Forbidden Deductions

Short Synopsis (Anilist): Ron Kamonohashi was once regarded as a genius at the top detective training academy. But after a fatal mistake, he was expelled and forbidden to become a detective. Years later, police officer Totomaru Isshiki knocks on Ron’s door seeking help on a serial murder case. He finds Ron, now a messy-haired recluse, who agrees. Together, this mismatched detective team begins solving their first mystery!

Ron suffers from the fate of many detective shows in that it’s an ultimately dull plot that tries to sail entirely off of the leads dynamic. Except the leads are always the same “Regular person” and “Eccentric genius”. The guy even has his own “I figured it out” pose. Yet unlike shows like last seasons Undead Murder Farce, this one doesn’t have any sort of supernatural element to sort of make it… pop. It ends up as a rather dull series of random deductions and cold reading that don’t actually make a lot of sense when you put them all together. And that’s a shame! To me detective/mystery shows are at their best when the clues are laid out in such a way that the audience is able to solve the mystery too. Where audience participation and investment is rewarded. But Ron doesn’t feel like that kind of mystery. Instead it’s a “I connected the dots you didn’t even know about because I never gave them to you” kind. And to me that’s disappointing. Still, if you just want some hot guys solving mysteries together it has that, plus it might improve once it really gets going. I don’t expect it to ending, but maybe!
Potential: 10%

Overtake!

Short Synopsis (Anilist): Haruka Asahina is a 16 year old high school boy racing F4 cars while staying at Komaki Motos, an auto-body shop in Shizuoka prefecture. Komaki Motors is a family-run shop that regularly competes in F4 with the team comprised of: owner Futoshi Komaki who is also a mechanic, his daughter Mako Komaki, and now Haruka Asahina. Because this is a family-run business, they receive no support usually from any major manufacturers. Haruka Asahina boldly confronts the top teams head-on to get the attention of these revered companies in hopes of making it to the podium himself.

Here we have the first of two racing anime not only of the season, but of this very post. Starting off, I wasn’t expecting much from Overtake. The CGI cars look meh, which they usually do, as do the flat racetrack/ground textures. Yet in spite of this something about the way Overtake was shot just… It felt passionate to me. The focus on the human element of racing, the emotions involved, etc. For example, my favorite shot of the entire episode was just of Haruka standing on the sidelines watching as all the cars flew past him. The sheer loneliness and dissatisfaction in that one image alone, with how it was framed, was incredible. And the fact we watch it all from the sidelines, our lead character being a photographer with his own issues and trauma rather than the racer, it makes it hit for me.We’re watching it from the sidelines yeah, but those sidelines are still Koya’s own perspective, so we aren’t really separated from the action despite not truly being involved. I have no idea if Overtake has enough going on to keep my interest for the entire season. But what I do know is that it’s earned another few episodes from me.
Potential: 60%

MF Ghost

Short Synopsis (Anilist): Self-driving cars are in widespread use in Japan, and public roadways are used for auto racing. In such an era, a race called MFG has become popular around the globe. Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini… Participants are invited to race with their fastest cars. One such participant, a British racing school graduate, Kanata Rivington, returns to Japan to achieve his goal.

For our second racing show of the season we have MF Ghost. This one is a lot less emotional than Overtake. All of the character stuff is mostly teen bullshit and setup for the race, nothing particularly interesting. There’s a bit about a missing father but really, who cares? We have no stake in either the dad or the son yet. And the female lead kind of walks back her only defining character trait almost immediately upon meeting him? Plus the odd amount of sexualization she gets as a highschooler, it’s a little weird. As for the racing, I wish I could tell you but we didn’t actually get any of it this week. What kind of racing show doesn’t lead with the racing? Especially one known for being so energetic and upbeat about it as Initial D, the series this is the successor to? Suffice to say I’m not particularly enthused. If I have to pick a racing anime this season, it’s going to be Overtake, and it isn’t even close.
Potential: 30%

Berserk of Gluttony

Short Synopsis (Anilist): Fate Graphite was born into a world where magical skills shape your destiny. His skill is Gluttony, a seemingly useless curse of unending hunger that has left him shunned and looked down upon. Until one day, after he takes the life of a thief, his true power awakens: he can devour the skill of anyone he kills to feed his appetite. Will he learn to control this gruesome ability for the better?

Ah, here’s the basic edgy fantasy series I was expecting from Ragna Crimson. It has everything from stats and unique skills to blatantly evil asshole knights with no redeeming qualities and a holier than thou waifu’s. And judging by the PV and the banner our MC is going to get a couple other Waifu’s to join his harem as the series goes on. At least it’s not diving into slavery or trying to justify child grooming. It can’t resist touching on those by the end, but at least it doesn’t justify or lean into them. I’m not going to beat around the bush, Gluttony is lowest common denominator shlock, or maybe slightly above that. There’s nothing particularly interesting in it, it doesn’t look great, nothing about it screams “watch me”. At best it’s good for brain-off popcorn viewing, which if that’s your thing more power to ya. Personally? I don’t have the time to waste on something like this
Potential: 1%

Ragna Crimson

Short Synopsis (Anilist): Dragons reign terror over the earth, sea and sky. If sworn dragon hunters like Ragna are to have any hope of dealing death to these seemingly invincible, fire-breathing beasts, they must find a way to level the odds. Ragna teams up with a mysterious man named Crimson who has likewise sworn to stand against the dragons menacing the world. But although Crimson’s motivations may be mysterious, his goal and Ragna’s perfectly align, and together they’ll fight to vanquish the dragons once and for all.

I’ll be honest, if this were a regular length premier Ragna Crimson would have lost me. The first half was some pretty standard isekai fantasy bullshit, except without the isekai, that I had 0 interest in. I mean, just look at all of those shitty anime tropes like 12 year old waifus that act nothing like a 12 year old, crazy tragic backstories and setup for said waifu dying to inspire our MC. But as we enter the 2nd half Ragna Crimson starts to shift from a standard tale of edgy MC revenge crap to a weirder, slightly more interesting one of time travel, regret, and tragedy. That’s kinda cool! I was pleasantly surprised that, despite still being an OPMC fantasy tale, Ragna Crimson wasn’t just following the standard cookie cutter template. I have no idea how it will hold up, as a lot of what makes it compelling is Future!Ragna’s feelings of regret and how they affect Past!Ragna. However if Ragna Crimson can lean into this alienation, this idea that even when saving those he cares for Ragna is still alone because he’s no longer the same person, then I think this could be worth some time. Guess we will have to wait and see, but its at least earned an episode 2 from me.
Potential: 40%

Firefighter Daigo: Rescuer in Orange

Short Synopsis (Anilist): Toake Daigo burns with remarkable talent and unparalleled determination. Onoda Shun struggles against the walls blocking his own path. Nakamura Yuki hopes to become one of the few female members of the special rescue corps known as “Orange.” When these three young firefighters who share the goal of becoming members of Orange come together, the story of how Japan will one day be saved begins… and what looms before them is a crisis that endangers the entire country!

You know, as clearly pandering as the concept is, I’m down for a show to celebrate our public servants who put their lives on the line for everyday people. It’s a solid idea with a lot of room to teach people about the job, inspire others to look at the career, and generally bring some attention to it and its risks. So it’s such a shame that Firefighter Daigo is just so… bland. From its visual presentation to the narrative, I’m just not pulled in by it. I wouldn’t say Firefighter Daigo looks bad, it doesn’t. The designs are fine, it moves fine, the coloring is fine. The proportions are a bit more adult, “realistic”, as far as anime goes. Meanwhile the narrative so far is a classic 0 to hero, start at basic training, rise up together sort of thing. There’s nothing I can point to in Firefighter Daigo as outright bad. But there’s also nothing I can point to that inspires me either, nothing passionate. It’s like it was made by committee, with no one on it being truly interested in the subject. Maybe that’ll change as it goes, I’ll give it a bit to find out. As far as first episodes go though, I’m not that enthused.
Potential: 20%

Shangri-la Frontier

Short Synopsis: A retro game otaku finally tries out the newest high-end MMO on the market and immediately gets sucked in, having the most fun he’s had in a long time.

Shangri-la should not be good. It’s a video-game MMO style isekai with an OPMC. This is the most basic sort of anime you can get. And yet… It’s a lot of fun. Most of that has to do with the production, which so far is great. Not quite at Frieren’s level, Shangri-la has still put a lot of care and detail into the world, characters and movement. From small stuff like condensation on a can to the MC jumping around and climbing trees in a forest, it looks good. Good enough that it kept me interested throughout the episode at least. I can’t say that the story is particularly interesting yet, as that’s still a rather straightforward MMO plot of “I’m gonna play the game because it’s fun”. We don’t even have a real story beyond that, no real driving force other than enjoying the game. But there’s enough fun moments, like kicking the annoying NPC party member or messing around with stats, that I’m willing to give it a chance and see where it goes. At the very least if it can keep up this production and comedy, I’ll have a good time.
Potential: 65%

My Daughter Left the Nest and Returned an S-Rank Adventurer

Short Synopsis: An S-Rank adventurer wants nothing more than to visit home and see her father, but work keeps popping up and people keep needing saving. Just how hard is it for a hero to get a break?

This one was actually kinda cute. No world-destroying demons, no overpowered bland-faced protagonists, no isekai bullshit. Just a young girl trying to visit home despite all the work that keeps popping up. Despite its high-fantasy nature, it’s actually pretty relevant to real life. That desire to see and be with family and the inability to do so because of adult responsibilities. Split that core emotion into 2 separate stories, Ange’s young working life and Bel’s country nostalgic musing, and you have a solid little fantasy family show. My only gripe is that the production seems to be rather weak. The action is dull, the movements stiff. It’s really carried by the character’s emotions and desire to see each other again. And even that I doubt S-Rank will be able to keep up for its entire run time. It’s going to have to transition into something else sooner or later. I can only hope it has that same familial core to whatever high fantasy adventure it drags this father/daughter pair into.
Potential: 50%

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

Short Synopsis: The adventure is over, the heroes return home, time passes and friends age. All except for Frieren, the elven mage destined to long outlive her companions, who must now face how little she truly valued the time she spent with them.

So right off the bat Frieren is cheating a bit by releasing effectively 4 episodes at once for its premier. Luckily that doesn’t matter though, because these aren’t 4 “basic” episodes. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if each one of these 4 were, individually, better than any other premier I watch in the coming days. Everything about it is just so… good. The art style and animation is gorgeous, having just the right amount of detail and personality to draw you in without being so complex no one is allowed to move. The pacing is patient and methodical, giving scenes room to breathe, Frieren isn’t in a rush to go anywhere. And the stories? God I cannot believe how well Freiren captured Frieren’s elven indifference, how little time means to her and how easily she can be sidetracked because of it, as well as the consequences such an attitude has on her relationships with others. I love the dichotomy of how short that 10 year adventure was, but how much it meant. How all these random spells she learns end up meaning something special to her, from spawning flowers her leader loves or turning grapes sour since her friend enjoys them to a demon’s magic being outpaced by the passage of time. You can see how much they mean to her, despite her outward indifference, and how important the idea of Time is to the story. Simply put, it’s really really solid, and I wasn’t expecting that. I’m a little concerned about this journey to the north, but the fact that it’s retreading the same adventure she took over 80 years ago means it’ll probably still be very emotional. I hope so at least, because Frieren has set some high expectations with this premier.
Potential: 95%

A Girl & Her Guard Dog

Short Synopsis: A young girl is raised by her Yakuza grandfather and one of his men. Now she’s grown up and attending highschool, only to find that the same Yakuza is attending as well to keep her safe and away from boys!

A friend of mine wrote something about Guard Dog that I can’t help but agree with: “If this was a feel good Slice of Life I would love it, but since I know it’s a romance that just makes it weird”. While Slice of Life isn’t my genre, Guard Dog would definitely be better served as one. Make it a feel good show about a shy girl trying to make normal friends in a normal school while her overprotective Yakuza guardian scares them all away, eventually realizing his little girl is growing up and doesn’t need him anymore. Instead what we get is some weird sort of age-gap grooming romance where the guy is twice her age, has raised her since she was a child, and actively prevents her from mingling with her peers. It’s all just so weird and the knowledge this is a romance tints every interaction they have, every scene they are in. Maybe some will be able to look past the whole “This guy has raised her since grade school” and just see the admittedly cute/moe interactions the two have. Add in a decent art style, I do actually like the line work and designs, and I’d understand why someone would enjoy it. Personally though? I can’t get into a groomer romance.
Potential: 5%