Fall 2023 Impressions: Migi & Dali, A Playthrough of a Certain Dude’s VRMMO Life, I’m in Love with the Villainess

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%

Fall 2023 Impressions: The Family Circumstances of the Irregular Witch, SHY, Ron Kamonohashi’s Forbidden Deductions

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%

Jujutsu Kaisen S2 – 10 [Pandemonium]

Welcome all, to a late episode of Jujutsu Kaisen! Sorry about that, new season is starting and I have a lot of things to write, this sort of just fell through the cracks. Going to see if I can squeeze it in here before the wave that comes on Saturday. So without further ado, lets dive into the episode!

So production wise this was a decent episode. Some nice shots, good animation, nice composition, etc etc. In particular I really liked the body horror and existential dread that comes up anytime Mahito uses his power. The facial expressions of some characters and transfigured humans were great, as usual. The only issue I can see is less on the visual side and more behind the scenes. More and more this past week I’ve been reading about terrible conditions at MAPPA, of how absolutely horrid this production is. While I won’t get into any moral grandstanding about treating your employees like people, that should be a given, I will wonder about how this will end up affecting the final product we get down the line. Will Jujutsu Kaisen hold together until the end? Or is a collapse somewhere on the horizon? I dunno, but it’s something to think about moving forward.

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Fall 2023 Impressions: Overtake!, MF Ghost, Berserk of Gluttony

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%

Fall 2023 Impressions: Ragna Crimson, Firefighter Daigo: Rescuer in Orange, Shangri-la Frontier

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%

Fall 2023 Impressions: S-Rank Musume, Frieren, A Girl & Her Guard Dog

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%

The Big O – 1/2 [Roger The Negotiator/Dorothy Dorothy] – Throwback Thursday

Welcome all, to the next season of Throwback Thursday! After being on the list for years it’s finally happened, Bruce Wayne and his giant robot finally got picked. That’s right, it’s the Batman The Animated Series knockoff, The Big O! Now without further ado lets dive in! Also in case it wasn’t obvious, that was a joke. Even if some of the staff worked on both.

Starting off lets talk visuals. By now many of you should know that I absolutely adore cel animation. There’s just something more… real about it, something that pops, where you can tell that each frame is hand-made. Combine that with a film noir atmosphere and an art deco aesthetic and The Big O has a winning formula. Seriously, I cannot understate how much I love its use of heavy blacks and contrast. There’s nothing complex about the designs, no ludicrously detailed fabrics or faces. Just simple colors, heavy contrast, and strong direction. And to top it all off? The effects work. My god the effects work. From explosions to debris and dust clouds, they all move so cleanly. While we don’t know how it will hold up as we go, I know it switches to digipaint in season 2, I can’t help but love The Big O’s style.

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Undead Murder Farce – 13 [The Culprit’s Name]

Welcome all, to the grand finale! This is it, the final episode Undead Murder Farce! There’s a lot that needs wrapping up this week. Will the series manage it? Or will it continue to stumble right at the finish line? Lets dive in and find out!

Starting off, did Undead Murder Farce manage to fix its lackluster visual production by the end? Well to be honest, not really. We still got shitty green screen compositing, poorly lit night scenes generally dull movement. Those have been stables since the show first aired and they are still here now. One thing we did get though was a pretty damn good cave sequence. It only lasted for a minute, sure. But it feels like that scene was every ounce of creative energy the show had condensed into a single minute. It was legitimately pretty great. The use of line work and different colors for different characters, the use of negative space, bright reds for wounds and such. Add on to that some… creative, if a tad nonsensical, scenes like Carmilla’s and at least as far as finales go, Undead Murder Farce didn’t do half bad I don’t think.

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Undead Murder Farce – 12 [Where the River’s Flow Changes]

Welcome all, to a rather late episode of Undead Murder Farce! Sorry for that, I’ve been writing some reports and getting back into Path of Exile. Not the best excuse, but hey it’s fun. Enough about me though, lets talk about our current seasonal murder mystery!

Starting off, Undead Murder Farce continues with it’s questionable production this week. I know I harp on it every time, but I’m going to continue to do so until it stops being a problem. It’s just to dark, to hard to see anything, and they still haven’t figured it out. On top of that, what decent animation we did get in the fights was still kind of rough. The way Tsuguru used his environment was nice, but I can’t say it looked good. And that’s not even mentioning the power-point levels of editing that were the last few moments of the episode. Seriously, what was that zoom and pan shit? Is this a professional project or is it babies first production? It’s damn shame. Undead Murder Farce never looked great, but it’s fallen even from those mild heights recently.

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Jujutsu Kaisen S2 – 9 [Shibuya Incident – Gate, Open]

Welcome all, to another week of Jujutsu Kaisen! This week is the climax of Gojo’s fight. We all know how this ends, so the real question is: How hype was it? Lets dive in and find out!

Starting off, lets give some praise for Jujutsu Kaisen’s animation team this week because that was great. Gojo got to go hard and show off exactly why he’s the fan favorite. Whether it be running around at the speed of sound killing some monsters or schooling some spirits in hand-to-hand, it was a great time. It’s a damn shame about the dimming though. I get it, it’s required by law, Porygon’s existence continues to affect anime to this day. Doesn’t change the fact that it made a couple of scenes look worse than they otherwise would have though. Still, at least fans have something to look forward to when the blu-rays come out. And it’s not like it ruined every scene either. To bring it back around to positivity, Jujutsu Kaisen’s focus on facial expressions this week was great. From Jogo to Geto to Gojo, I loved them all.

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