Author: SuperMario

Kemono Jihen

Short Synopsis: A spirit detective travels to a quiet country town and meets an immortal half-ghoul child.

Wooper: This was better than I thought it would be. Kemono Jihen’s first episode was a pretty straightforward adaptation of the manga’s prologue, but it did manage to elevate itself in a couple ways, the most obvious of which was the music. I liked SK8’s melodic pop punk tunes quite a bit, but this show one-upped it with ease, drawing on chimes and woodwinds to create a traditional soundbed that matched its country setting beautifully. This is a modern production, so synths and strings came crashing in at the usual points, but the more subdued or playful moments were highlights for sure. The solidity of the character art was quite pleasing, as well, though there was a lack of harmony between people and backgrounds during some wide shots. The narrative setup itself is nothing impressive, and the twist at the end doesn’t carry nearly the impact that the author likely intended, but some good voice performances and a blessedly quiet shounen protagonist have me interested in the series’ future.

Potential: 60%

Mario: There’s something about Kemono Jihen that I’m not sold on yet. Maybe it’s because I am never too hot on shows based on supernatural procedures. Or it could be because I still find the relationship between Inugami and Dorotabo to be weak despite how this premiere tries hard to build up their relationship. Or maybe the characters’ dead eyes just bug me. In any case, the show doesn’t grab me the way it should. All that negative assessment doesn’t disregard many elements that Kemono Jihen did excel at: the production is strong, the show’s themes are intriguing and the twist in this episode mostly works. This is just a prologue for the main story, so the true test will be in the next few episodes. Let’s see if it manages to win me over by then.

Potential: 30%

Idoly Pride

Short Synopsis: A manager at an idol production agency flashes back to his first job.

Mario: Guess what? Another idol show that doesn’t suck. It really says something when the first episode of an idol show doesn’t feature many actual performances (for better and for worse). The bad thing about it is that it’s undeniably cutting corners. As smart as that method is I’m still afraid about its production values, and the ED further confirms my worries with the glaring CG model dance. On the bright side though, it means that its focus isn’t just on the idol industry – they delve more into character development and motivation, which for me is a plus, as by the end I did care about the MC. If Idoly Pride carries the same level of details to its 10 (!) idol characters then we have ourselves a winning show here. For now I remain optimistic.

Potential: 40%

Wooper: During first impressions season, I tend to watch anime with my fingers on my laptop’s pause and screenshot keys. It’s become something of a reflex to capture images I like from new premieres, which is why I was surprised to find I’d taken zero shots of Idoly Pride by the end. Then I thought back on what I’d just watched, and my surprise evaporated. This is a drab-looking show with discount Bunny Girl designs, still montages in place of dance routines, and the same closeup of the main dude’s face repeated around ten times in the span of twenty minutes. The main type of scene between him and Idol Girl involved him being a stodgy realist, then getting taken aback by something cute or inspiring that she did or said as the camera held on his confusion. I know that anime regularly leans on that trope, but Idoly Pride used it with alarming frequency, as though the protagonist’s brain were running a program that couldn’t decode cuteness or inspiration. At least it had a story, though, instead of running wild with all the idols that appeared in the first minute. That has to be worth something… right?

Potential: You tried

Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu

Short Synopsis: A pervert loser dies and is reborn as a…pervert magical baby.

Amun: Ah…everyone okay over there, Mr. Anime industry?  Just wanting to check in and make sure.  Is there some childhood trauma that you guys need to talk about?  Something you need to get off your chest?  I’m here for you guys, and I’m just getting a bit worried – imouto infatuation is weird, but we’re starting to branch out to parents now.  This has been the kink of a few TV anime, and I’m sure some “niche” ones as well.  We’ve got a hentai hikikomori who has full consciousness as a baby and is ogling his mom…Sorry, I’m just going to be stuck on that.  That’s a bit far for me.  The show’s characters are definitely made with love, and the plot is perfectly generic, so that’s as advertised – I’m just a bit concerned about the childhood trauma of this author and his particular tastes.   So the short and long of it – a cookie cutter, decently animated isekai with a mother complex.           

Potential: 10%

Mario: There was a thought that was constantly on my mind while I was watching this episode: “why wasted so much effort for this?” Mushoku Tensei’s visuals are better than at least half of the shows I’ve sampled so far this season, and it all amounts to nothing with a generic story like this. The MC’s death in “real life” couldn’t be more stale, the world-building is overly familiar and the ecchi (to put it very mildly) couldn’t be more creepy. But what is worst for me is the “life lesson” the protagonist comes to learn after all this: he appreciates life and gives it another chance. WHAT? By escaping his very real life and living in this wish-fulfillment fantasy? That message is pretty problematic, doesn’t matter how I slice it up. Plus he gains OP power within the first episode, so what more is there for him to gain except for a harem of girls and recognition that he would never have in his previous real life? It’s just sad, really.

Potential: 0%

The Promised Neverland S2

Short Synopsis: The recently-escaped orphans wander the forest, encountering both enemies and allies.

Lenlo: So let’s cut right to the chase, if you liked Season 1 you will probably like Season 2. You already know what Promised Neverland has to bring and this is more of the same. I thought it was alright but that it flubbed a bit on the presentation. I’m also sure you have heard that the manga goes down hill, I myself have mentioned it here before, but it doesn’t get bad. Not yet at least. It’s true that the first arc is the best arc and so I wouldn’t expect anything more than that but we have a ways to go before the series properly shits the bed. At least… 2-3 more arcs based on how you count, and in there we will meet my favorite character too!

As for the episode, it wasn’t bad. I continue to like the power dynamics of Promised Neverland. Our characters are never ahead, they never have the advantage and they will never win a proper physical confrontation. It gives every scene, even in such an idyllic forest, a fair amount of tension. Even when they were saved at the end of this episode we can’t help but wonder, are they really saved? Or is this just a new fire? The only negative thing I really have to say is that the lighting was often terrible. Dark scenes at night are hard, I know, but it was difficult to see anything during a lot of the chase scenes. The CGI spider demon thing in particular stood out as uh… not good. 

So yeah. If it can nail the tension, not fall apart on the production and handle some of the big scenes well, I see no reason why it can’t succeed. Just temper your expectations if you really liked the first season and you shouldn’t be disappointed.

Potential: 50%

Mario: Carried on from its successful (in terms of sales) first season, this episode expands in terms of scale and not necessarily on ambition. It’s good to see how the stakes are still so high as death himself hides in the corner and dangers come from everywhere. The involvement of monsters is welcome because we will have a chance to learn more about the new world – the forest for example is full of fantastical details. The drawback, however, is that this episode happens mostly during the night in the forest, hence the show looks dark and dull at times. This episode also highlights how well these kids have matured since we first saw them, especially the supporting ones like Gilda and Don, and the two new allies (or not?) already prove to be interesting in their own ways. It sure is a welcome return for Promised Neverland, with an added bonus: fantastic OP & ED along the way.

Potential: 40%

Gekidol

Short Synopsis: A shy high school girl with a hidden talent joins an acting troupe.

Mario: [Disclaimer: I have not watched the episode 00’s “Alice in Deadly School” prior to writing this impression] Maybe it’s just me who has gained a newfound interest in anime (I kid), but I’ve enjoyed all the premieres I’ve seen so far but one (Tatoeba), even the ones for which I had no expectations. Gekidol’s first episode is better than it has any right to be. While the story beats and the characters’ personalities tread familiar paths, there are many other details that raise it above the bar. First is the art designs that look consistently pleasant in this episode. It’s also confident enough to pull off a hand-drawn dance routine, which for me is always a good sign. Second, the subject of theatrical productions always draws me in and indeed some of my favorite anime involve high school plays (Sweet Blue Flowers, Bloom Into You, and most recently, Beastars). Most importantly, Gekidol has many off-kilter details about its setting. Its blend of sci-fi (the TMS hologram, a “robot” girl) and mystery (what the heck is that hole? What happened 5 years ago?) within its typical idol genre sure intrigues me and I’m looking forward to what comes next.

Potential: 50%

Wooper: I was going to watch episode 0 of this show, which is an in-universe play called “Alice in Deadly School,” but it looked kind of hideous, so I didn’t. Not that episode 1 looked much better – all the blurry backgrounds and len flares on display here had me fiending for a palate cleanser the moment that it ended. I’m not an expert on the compositing process, but it didn’t seem as though much effort was spent on blending the characters with their environment. That’s just as well, though, because their personalities are far from natural. The main girl is cripplingly shy (with special attention devoted to her prudeness), her friend is a jealous tsundere, and her new co-stars at Alice in Theater are unstoppably cheerful and supportive. Main character Seria is a gifted mimic, but has no acting chops of her own, which is an interesting idea that’s wasted on such a lame script. And let’s not forget the Global Synchronic Urban Disappearance, a phenomenon that sucked all of Ikebukuro into a black hole five years ago. Has there ever been an anime setup more blatantly designed to hook an otaku audience? Let’s hope I never find out.

Potential: 0%

Hortensia Saga

Short Synopsis: Two orphans of war vow to become stronger in order to defend their homeland from invading forces.

Wooper: It’s fantasy anime like this one that help me understand the isekai boom. While I’m sure we’re all tired of dual world setups, RPG elements and platonic harems, those elements are actually meant to distinguish their works from generic medieval sword-and-sorcery stories like Hortensia Saga. I mean, a power struggle between a fertile kingdom and its barren principality? A knight who dies defending a princess? His son, who vows to gain strength and honorably follow in his father’s footsteps? The plot is positively narcoleptic. The twist here is that the missing princess has disguised herself as a man and intends to join the war effort – sorry, did I say twist? What I meant was “literacy test,” because if you’re surprised to read that Alfred’s squire was actually a woman, your comprehension skills are streets behind. The best thing I can say about Hortensia Saga is that it’s visually competent. The 3DCG armies were a small step up from what we’ve seen in previous fantasy shows, some of the backgrounds were appropriately grand, and the characters never melted. Anime can look as not-terrible as it wants, though, and I’ll still pass due to lack of personality every time.

Potential: 10%

Lenlo: While I understand where Wooper is coming from above, and he is largely right, I am not as harsh on Hortensia Saga. I actually prefer medieval sword-and-sorcery, especially one light on the fantasy elements such as Dwarves and Elves Japan is still in love with, to the Isekai power fantasies. Basically, I’ll take a decent 90’s fantasy novel plot over whatever schlock Isekai Light Novels are churning out these days.

As for the show itself, it was… fine? I’m not a fan of how it started in-media-res with the castle attack, that was the most hamfisted part of the story by far. But everything else with Marius, Alfred and the like wasn’t terrible. I’m getting some Basara vibes, which I absolutely adore, and the general setup seems like knockoff Fire Emblem. It’s not going to win any awards and it certainly isn’t going to do anything new. But if Hortensia can pull off Marius’s growth, their connection over dead parents and the eventual reveal that she is a woman well, it can maybe at least not waste your time. 

Potential: 30%

Maesetsu!

Short Synopsis: A comedy duo struggles to make it big, or even to stay funny.

Mario’s review:

Out of all the shows I watched for this First Impressions, Maesetsu hands down has the worst production values. Everything looks stiff, to the point where they didn’t bother to animate the whole stadium of fans in a concert – not a single one of them. Then, it’s the subject matter that is going to be a hard sell for anime viewers: this is a cute girls show where girls do comedy – and the comedy bits are on the “missed” side of the spectrum. When the main girl fails multiple times to make people laugh for her routine, I get the same sense about this show as a whole. Still, the way the main duo struggles with what they love and tries best to do what they love is grounded and believable. If this is the story about underdog groups who break out then I still have reasons to follow it.

Potential: 20%

Ochikobore Fruit Tart

Short Synopsis: A small town girl moves to Tokyo to become an idol.

Wooper’s review:

It’s been a long couple of weeks, but we’ve finally reached the end of preview season, where all the trash gets dumped. Ochikobore is perhaps the least inspired show of the fall, though it’s not the worst – it’s far too competent at its cutesy idol shtick to earn that distinction. Instead of outright badness we’ve got unavoidable deja vu, including a cast of characters who slot nicely into each of the major otaku food groups: nice girl, genki girl, loli girl, and Tits McGee. Their manager announces that they’re forming an idol group, and thus they proceed with the singing and “dancing” and distribution of flyers. You’ve seen this before. Fruit Tart looks alright – the performance scene near the end is animated entirely by hand, which is notable for an idol series. The characters spend about half of the episode in silly chibi mode, so if that’s your favorite thing in the world, this is the show for you. Interior scenes make dreadful use of pre-existing digital assets, but that’s par for the course in modern anime – even Jujutsu Kaisen, arguably the season’s biggest production, has the same problem. Alright, I think I’m done writing about this tiresome premiere. Time to go make dinner.

Potential: 10%

Mario’s review:

We can’t never truly escape them huh? Idol anime is here to stay – not for the better though. Despite having a rather pleasant aesthetic, the story of 4 unlikely idol members forming an idol band is an easy but ultimately plain and unmemorable watch. Characters are the kind that have 1 or 2 significant traits and they would max it up to 11, and the plot of getting them into an idol group is terribly contrived, except that they gloss it up as a joke – and not very funny at that. And worst of all, I’m kinda tired of the big boobs trope that frankly exists for fan-service. If they try their hands on parodying the idol industry or these character types, it would work way better, and there are moments where the show touches slightly on that, but then it reverts back to celebrating the genre anyway. It’s not a total waste of time as I find myself enjoying the episode through and through, it’s just harmless and unassuming.

Potential: 20%

Magatsu Wahrheit: Zuerst

Short Synopsis: A novice soldier has to fight the extremist group on his first day and witnesses his best friend killed.

Mario’s review:

The last premiere of the season is a surprise one. When I heard that Magatsu Wahrheit is based on a mobile game I had given up all hope, but at least this first episode featuring multiple perspectives have its merits. While you can easily point out the plot progression and the generic settings, what sells me so far is that they manage to form separate narratives into the big chase at the end – so that by that point we are in both the army and the extremist group. Well, the show actually goes a bit busy for my taste as it introduces a bigger plot threat (the monsters) that has little to do with this cop chase this week. The production is overall inconsistent, there are a couple of nice shots but the rest looks uninspiring and uneven. I’ll be checking more episodes to see how this show progresses.

Potential: 30%

Golden Kamuy S3

Short Synopsis: Golden Kamuy resumes as Sugimoto sets out for Sakhalin in search of Asripa. Along the way they will hunt criminals, fight large mammals and make a bunch of dick jokes. So many goddamn dick jokes.

Lenlo’s review:

Alright, I remember very little of Golden Kamuy, its last season airing almost 2 years ago. And yet almost immediately it manages to get me laughing again like it had never left. Don’t get me wrong, Golden Kamuy’s story isn’t bad. Sugimoto’s relationship with Ashripa is great and I really enjoy a lot of the interplay between the characters. But the comedy is where it’s at. Unabashedly making dick jokes, reoccuring pictures of scantily clad muscular men and perpetually escalating actions of petty spite all wrapped up in a single 23 minute episode. I have no idea if the season or story will be any good. But I damn well believe I am gonna laugh my through the next 3 months.

Potential: 70%

Mario’s review:

Golden Kamuy wastes no time as it follows right up where the previous season left off. This time, it’s another distinctive setting where the gang heads off to Sakhalin, an island which borders Russia. While the characters and the humor never take themselves seriously, the same can’t be said for its detailed depiction of unique cultures such as the Ainu and this time the Russian people in Sakhalin. The story might be a bit on the slow side this week, but the queer-baiting humor is as outragous as ever, and I mean that as a good thing. Watching these larger-than-life characters interact with each other in a madcap treasure hunt is a delight, while at the same time Sugimoto and Asirpa’s chemistry is strong enough  not to be overshadowed by the side characters. As long as it keeps up with its unique self it will be a wild ride to follow.

Potential: 60%

Ikebukuro West Gate Park

Short Synopsis: A gang of respectable, straight edge gentlemen escort a 12 year old girl around town to get revenge on some spooky drug pushers.

Amun’s review:

Ikebukuro’s first episode is a goose egg.  I was unable to find a single positive takeaway.  Give me back those twenty minutes of my life.  The plot was horrid – a randomly connected fruit merchant takes a little girl around to plant evidence to get rid of a drug merchant.  It’s actually worse than that (that summary sounds almost interesting on paper) – the big action scenes are jumping a fence and awkwardly kicking someone in the face.  The characters suck – suave suit “King” made me cringe.  “Hacker” zero one made me vomit.  And “G-Boys”…now it’s farce.  This is a caricature of an enjoyable show – you know it represents one but all the important parts have been removed.  The writing is amateur, the characters are flatter than a Type A moe, and the animation is Microsoft Paint level.  No seriously, there are some stills of the fruits that look done in Paint.  There are other atrocious examples of CG assisted …. something.  It’s hard to call this animation in good faith.  I guess the voice acting was okay!   There’s a positive.  Anyways, this has my vote as the worst first of the season.  I think I’d rather watch the wall humping show than this absolutely putrid insult to anime.

Potential: the Zero from “Zero One”

Wooper’s review:

Turns out giving a pseudo-action crime series to the team behind Yesterday wo Utatte (a dialogue-driven character study) wasn’t the best idea. Starting your episode with one of the least exciting animated car chases in recent years means you’ve got nowhere to go but up, and to its credit, IWGP does manage to improve from that point. Were you to graph that rate of improvement, however, the slope would be close to 0. There’s a preteen kid in this premiere who powers the plot by pouting, which causes the grown-up characters to 1) avenge her mother’s injury, 2) senselessly involve her in dangerous situations, 3) leak information ten seconds after having sworn not to, etc. As a result of both her nagging and the investigation it motivates, the G Boys (there is no better name for a group of wannabe hoodlums) discover an indoor greenhouse where a bad guy is growing a marijuana lookalike (nooooo!). Then we cut away from the investigation and get a few seconds of narration explaining how Weed Man is brought to justice, and the episode comes to an abrupt end. So too shall this review; spend your time on other, better anime.

Potential: 10%

Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

Short Synopsis: Girl in bear outfit saves the village from a giant viper.

Mario’s review:

This third isekai entrance is sadly the most generic out of the three. The whole premise of this first episode focuses on how overpowered the main girl is despite wearing that ridiculous unbearably cute bear outfit. In other words, it’s wish-fulfillment fantasy to the max. Wait, it has another different factor going for it: instead of reincarnating in another world, the Main Girl simply plays her VRMMO game so we have a chance to see a portion of her real life. The issue with that is that even in her real life, Yuna is ridiculously overpowered as well. She claims she doesn’t need to go to school (which should speak to the otaku community out there), and she makes enough money from her games to pay for her parents’ vacation. Well, many claim that Kuma Bear finally breaks gender norms (instead of OP boys we have this cute OP girl) but it’s so lazily written it backfires. For a cute girl in a bear suit fix I’d rather rewatch Serial Experiments Lain instead.

Potential: 10%

Yuukoku no Moriarty

Short Synopsis: A handsome blond Moriarty works as a revenge coordinator in Victorian London alongside his slightly less handsome friends.

Wooper’s review:

What is this, the third Sherlock Holmes-adjacent anime in as many years? I wonder what’s motivating the Victorian detective boom in Japan. Whatever it is, Yuukoku no Moriarty is the latest cash-in on the trend, and its combination of straightforward crime fiction and Gothicism likely hits the right notes for a lot of viewers. Production I.G works often do, but I tend to find them stuffy unless there’s a strong character designer on board to prevent the ‘designed by committee’ look. Moriarty has precisely that problem, so it leans on shiny hair and eyes that change colors in various levels of darkness instead. It also goes all-in on the edge, most memorably in a cut matching the smile of a child-hunting criminal to the teeth of a Satanic statue nearby. I found all of this too much to swallow, especially since Moriarty doesn’t ground itself in a sense of who its main character is (apart from Super Genius). It’s procedural from the get-go, and while there’s nothing inherently wrong with that, I don’t feel like following a focus-grouped version of this character through a historical setting that substitutes authenticity for DARKNESS.

Potential: 30%

Mario’s review:

This premiere executes a quite solid crime scene that also serves as a convincing introduction to our main character, Moriaty, and his moral ambiguity. He’s more of an anti hero in this case, allowing murders to happen if they’re justified. And what’s more justified than executing a rich pedo bastard who kills teenage boys for sport? Yep, subtlety might not be the show’s strongest card, but the way Moriarty investigates proves credibility. His deduction (so far) doesn’t feel like a stretch and the mystery remains strong throughout the episode. Moriaty the show has its potential just like its main character, who’s more keen to dig further to the darker part of human desire (this time: hatred), but I will reserve my judgment until the other key character – Sherlock Holmes – makes an entrance. Really, I am interested to see what version of Sherlock they are going for as a perfect foil for this Moriaty.

Potential: 50% 

Kami-tachi ni Hirowareta Otoko

Short Synopsis: A muscular working man dies in his sleep and reincarnates as a 11-year-old slime-tamer boy.

Mario’s review:

With the rise of the isekai subgenre, we are bound to have something like this pop up three times every season. Kami-tachi’s premise goes along the same line with shows like Seventh Son and Ascendance of a Bookworm in how the MC is transported to another world in kid form with the memory and maturity (?) of an adult, hence they already have an advantage in their fantasy world. Kami-tachi adds very little to this formula, resulting in an okay but boring watch all along the way. First, the MC is absolutely boring. The way he embraces the cliche that he will be reborn in another world is grating. Second, the show’s comedy is misfire. The reason for his death should be hilarious if they play it right, but here it just feels off and awkward. The production is so-so and the story is nothing to write home about. This is strictly for isekai junkies only. 

Potential: MEH

Amun’s review:

Ah, Mario is being mean to isekai stans again!  Okay, but he does have some points.  This is generic any way you cut it – even the slimes look second rate (like, how hard is it to draw an interesting slime?  Takes literally any effort).  I didn’t think it looked that bad, but I agree it’s not likely to break any new ground.  Honestly, this episode was so generic that I’m having a hard time finding things to write about – I like pre-death MC’s haircut?  The deities were kind of funny?  This is very similar to last year’s Wiseman’s Grandchild – decent, mindless entertainment.  Actually, scratch that – it’ll probably be more like a slightly romantic, slime farm simulator.  I’ll probably end up watching all of it.

Potential: 50% – or if that haircut comes back

Maou-jou de Oyasumi

Short Synopsis: A narcoleptic princess abuses a band of innocent monsters in her quest for a good night’s sleep.

Amun’s review:

Your opinion of this show will hinge on if you liked Mairimashita! Iruma-kun – I certainly did.  We have similar art style, a kidnapping by a less than harmful demon, new amusing demonic setting to explore, and a particular quest (prevent human identity exposure and get a good night’s sleep).  I thought the gag humour was hit and miss – although I love how Maou-jou isn’t afraid to go dark (slicing up the sentient sheet sent a small shiver).  The big downsides are the bland hero and the bland demon king – Syalis was a pretty good story vehicle, albeit one dimensional.  Introducing the resurrection mechanic gave the plot an automatic escape hatch – but it also destroys any dramatic tension from the non-OSHA friendly demon king dungeon.  Basically, don’t expect too much depth of characters, art, animation, story…really anything of this show.  Just think of it as a peaceful prelude to a good night’s rest.

Potential: 65%

Wooper’s review:

The gag here is that a perpetually drowsy princess has her run of a demon’s castle, and she spends her time crafting sleeping accessories for herself. If that idea tickles your fancy, you’ll like this show, as it’s a very good version of that premise. If you think it sounds stupid, this premiere won’t do much to change your mind. Assuming you don’t hate fun, you might appreciate the wordplay in the princess’ name (Syalis), or the framing of her minor adventures as “quests” (and the joyous theme that plays whenever she clears one). A particularly cute detail was the mid-episode disappearance of her golden crown, which she traded for some scissors in order to make a soft headband for herself. Soft things are more conducive to sleep, after all! The storybook art style and variety in the creature designs both contribute to the fun of the show, too, as Syalis wanders appealing halls and abuses non-threatening monsters in her quest to design the ultimate snoozing experience. I don’t know if I’ll watch another episode of this, as the comedy’s expiration date is probably two or three weeks from now, but I sure enjoyed what I saw in the first one.

Potential: 50%