Overgeared

Short Synopsis: An MMO addict’s bad luck begins to turn when he stumbles upon a super rare item.

Wooper: The very first line of the fall season’s first premiere is, “Humans are constantly working hard and improving.” That’s an attractive idea, but in the world of Overgeared (Tempal: Item no Chikara), it’s merely a lie. Forget the main character’s video game addiction and dead end job; even the average person in this show is an MMO lifer (its most popular game, “Satisfy,” has two billion players), and the zillionaires who run the world are so vehemently anti-work that they’ve found a way to make MMO bucks just as valuable as first world currencies. These kinds of stories have been around for an entire generation at this point, and Overgeared brings nothing new to the table, unless you consider the concept of falling below level 0 to be earth-shattering stuff. And some people certainly do – there’s a three minute scene of R&D suits discussing the protagonist’s de-leveling, written in such a way that even people “watching” the show on their third monitor will absorb the roadmap for his eventual ascension. Ultimately, that’s what these “what if video games = real???” shows are: third rate entertainment for third rate anime fans. I know I sound like a gatekeeping prick, but that’s the sort of reaction that trash like Overgeared is uniquely capable of getting from me.
Potential: -3%

FX Senshi Kurumi-chan

Short Synopsis: A math-savvy college student adopts her mom’s self-destructive forex trading habit.

Wooper: I know absolutely nothing about the foreign exchange market, and having just seen the first episode of FX Senshi Kurumi-chan, I’m happy to remain uninformed. Making bets on currency exchange rates sounds addictive, and I’d rather my life not reach the level of ruin portrayed in this premiere. Of course, it’s a little weird that the vehicles for such despair will be fancifully designed anime girls, several of whom can be glimpsed during the closing montage – for now, though, what we have is a prologue about the breakup of a family over forex trading debt, and it’s quite an effective one. After an opening PSA about the real life hazards of the show’s subject matter, the show gets to work shaping its protagonist’s past, introducing her as a cheerful middle school girl before slowly stripping away everything she has to be happy about. The guilt that Kurumi feels about her mom’s poor choices hits hard, and her own decision to follow her into the FX market is tragic in its predictability. This episode’s exaggerated voice acting and blunt (but mercifully brief) flashbacks distract, but don’t detract, from the sadness of its story, which is about all I could ask for. Now that it’s caught up to the present, will it take a black comedy angle or morph into a Kaiji-esque gambling thriller? I’m not sure, but I’ll gladly (not too gladly) watch for a couple more weeks to find out.
Potential: 60%

Pan Dorobou

Short Synopsis: A rodent disguised as a loaf of bread liberates one of his fellow loaves from a local bakery.

Wooper: Like all the best thieves, Pan Dorobou has a code. He aims for freshly-baked bread, steals only one loaf at a time, and eats with gratitude; in other words, he’s tasteful, mindful, and grateful. He’s also the star of a popular Japanese children’s book series, which has now been adapted into an anime with nine minute episodes (six minutes if you don’t count the OP, ED, and episode-ending maze segment). The show has a pleasant picture book style to it, which is especially helpful in giving texture to the different kinds of bread that are so often on screen. Pan Dorobou’s mousey snout and malleable limbs are well-animated, giving him a lot of visual appeal, but not as much as his house in the forest, which is filled with furniture made from bread. If he only steals a loaf at a time, he must have gone hungry for several days to furnish that room! Not that I’d hold it against him – nor would any of the bemused human or animal residents of the neighboring city where he does his pilfering. Pan Dorobou, both the character and the show, are simply too cute to criticize, though I do wonder whether the bakers whose wares he absconds with will be made into villains in the future. Guess I’ll have to keep watching to find out!
Potential: Delicious/10

Kimi ga Shinu made Koi wo Shitai

Short Synopsis: A shy girl becomes roommates with a rumored assassin at an orphanage for magical child soldiers.

Wooper: KimiShinu (“I Want to Love You Till Your Dying Day”) provides few details about its decidedly odd setting: an orphanage where children are raised as soldiers in a magical war against an enemy country. As far as the magic goes, we see wands being conjured and desks and chairs floating in midair, but not much else, and as for the military aspect, that’s how the episode opens, but the broader battlefield situation is obscured by a thick forest canopy. This premiere is more dialed in on protagonist Sheena’s feeling of loss after her roommate is killed in combat, and her fascination with new roomie Mimi, who’s soaked in blood during their dramatically lit first encounter. The issue I experienced here was that the former emotion is crowded out as soon as Mimi appears on screen. She’s cute as a button, and the show practically screams, “BE INTRIGUED!” when such a floofy-haired, high-voiced child is paired with such violent imagery, whereas everything that comes before her introduction is delivered in a normal speaking voice. Even a trip to the school’s chapel, which provides Sheena with an opportunity to place her old roommate’s stuffed animal in her casket, seems to prioritize Mimi’s bewilderment at the ritual. Also, the “kissing as magical first aid” trope is some cowardly shit – if you want to show girls locking lips, why not draw it with your whole chest?
Potential: 25%

Saga of Tanya the Evil S2

Short Synopsis: Tanya Degurechaff finds herself on the front lines once more, determined to win at all costs.

Mario: It sure has been a while. I remember the first season aired almost a decade ago, with a follow up movie and then radio silence until now. We get right to the thick of it in this second season, as Tanya finds herself completely isolated. She is assigned by her scheming leaders to carry out a critical mission, even though she knows she is on the losing side. Her team is incompetent, and the enemy doesn’t fare much better either. What this episode does best, for me, is to keep the tone just right. It fuses the big bombastic battle, the nihilism of Tanya and the ridiculous situation she is in, all in one big swoop. It can be funny at times, gruesome at the next, and in the centre of it all, Tanya is an antihero we just can’t take our eyes off of. So far, what makes her fearsome is that she’s super overpowered, but what makes her vulnerable is that she is alone against everyone else, especially Being X. The show’s animation looks great too, so it’s a blast to see the evil Tanya back in action.
Potential: 50%

Mebius Dust

Short Synopsis: Teams of Capture the Flag players collaborate with a scientist to enhance their meteorite-activated superpowers.

Wooper: It looks like Mebius Dust has taken the form I feared it might: teenagers with various superhuman abilities (who happen to be confined to a single city) playing territory games, rather than teenagers (who happen to enjoy playing territory games) coming to terms with their confinement. This episode is bookended by two such games as a way of introducing the characters and their powers, so there’s no confusion about who’s who and what they can do, but it hardly feels as though we know them as individuals by the time the credits roll. Neither am I curious about the soft-spoken main character Araki, even if he’s the only character who seems interested in life outside the characters’ open-air prison – there’s not enough contrast between him and everyone else to make him feel noteworthy. Some of the players’ superpowers are weird enough to raise an eyebrow at, especially the idol who can conjure glow sticks in his opponents’ hands that put them under his spell, so that’s something. In the end, though, there’s no sense that this meteorite-impacted version of Japan is much different than the present day, and the characters are all too content to spend each day waiting for nightfall so they can play Capture the Flag. No one and nothing about Mebius Dust feels authentic, at least after a single episode.
Potential: 5%

The Ghost in the Shell

Short Synopsis: In the year 2029, a newly formed cybercrime task force investigates an orphanage accused of brainwashing.

Wooper: “Maximal” is the word I’d use to describe The Ghost in the Shell, the latest incarnation of Japan’s preeminent cyberpunk series. Its reenactment of the 1995 film’s opening scene is backed by a raucous string-infused jazz piece, its brain dive scenes are minor assaults on the senses, and its character animation is more exaggerated than ever. Faster action, more color, less exposition – it’s a new frontier for GitS, and while I don’t love everything about it, the bold approach certainly makes it more interesting than the franchise’s last couple outings. One thing I can unreservedly praise is the limited use of on-screen text to define in-universe terminology, which permits this episode to move at its rapid clip. The Major is more rebellious than professional this time around, which fits the faster pace, and the show frequently looks gorgeous. The cherry blossom viewing scene just after the OP is a highlight, of course, but the episode also impressed me during forested combat and even in meeting rooms tinged with red or blue light. On that note, I think I’ll be switching to the dub going forward, since the show’s speed and information density would give me less time to appreciate its good looks were I to split my eyes between subtitles and visuals. Guess I’ll learn whether the new cast can hold a candle to Mary Elizabeth McGlynn and company in a week’s time!
Potential: 70%

Victoria of Many Faces

Short Synopsis: A former spy defects and builds her new life in a neighboring country under the alias “Victoria,” then decides on taking care of a child.

Mario: We are reaching the tail end of this first impressions period, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by Victoria of Many Faces. Even though Victoria was once a spy, there’s hardly any cool action to show off her skills, and that’s for the better. It takes a slow approach to her life in a new country, where she meticulously plans ahead so that she can stay under the radar, although life pulls her another way when she sees an abandoned child Nonna. So far, I enjoy the pacing – it takes just enough time for her to get familiar with her new surroundings and build trust with her neighbors. In addition, even though there’s a lot of narration that voices what Victoria is thinking, it’s her actions (sometimes contradicting what she thinks) that let us sense her true self beneath the surface. That said, so far I am not a fan of the visual presentation. Whenever it showcases her darker past, the show goes down a few tones in terms of brightness as well. It makes the flashbacks feel like Gothic-inspired moments, which I don’t think is what the show is aiming for. What remains strong here is Victoria herself as she opens up more and attempts to leave her past behind, while at the same time it tries to catch up with her. So far, the narrative and the main character are strong enough for me to continue on this journey.
Potential: 40%

Flaming Dodgeball Girl Danko

Short Synopsis: The impossibly enthusiastic daughter of a legendary athlete recruits teammates for her school’s dodgeball club.

Wooper: Upon learning that this show was the sequel to a decades-old sports anime, I decided not to include it in our season preview, even though the intensity of its PV made me smile. Modern spins on older properties haven’t performed too well this year: Samurai Troopers didn’t hook me, Fist of the North Star was insulting, and High School Kimengumi may go down as the year’s biggest WTF premiere. With Flaming Dodgeball Girl Danko, however, we finally hit paydirt – or rather, I did. This series will appeal to very few people reading this paragraph, and not just because it’s a sequel to an anime they’ve (and I’ve) never seen. It’s extremely old school, with lip flaps and speed lines everywhere, a blaring electric guitar soundtrack, and a ridiculous premise where dodgeball is the most awesome thing in the world. The shounen trope of winning through sheer willpower is central to its story’s operation, and there’s a low level of fanservice that will likely ramp up as time goes on, if the characters in the OP are anything to go by. Still, I found myself laughing along at the level of parody on display here. I don’t know how earnest the original Honoo no Youkyuujo series was, but this new one is geared primarily for humor, using its protagonist’s inability to hold back as a comedic weapon in her quest to recruit new players. Even the fanservice contributes to a particular character’s athletic superpower in a silly, non-exploitative way. I can’t recommend Dodgeball Girl Danko to a broad audience, but I also can’t deny how much I enjoyed watching it.
Potential: Just for me

Red River

Short Synopsis: A teenage girl gets transported back to ancient Anatolia (now Turkiye), where she is saved by a prince.

Mario: I have so many mixed feelings watching Red River. On the one hand, its storytelling and visual style make it a throwback to a bygone era. I’ve also read a good portion of the “Crest of the Royal Family” manga, where Red River clearly draws its influence. On the other hand, the opening scene… nearly throws me off with what I wanted to forget about that begone era’s storytelling. Starting off with a kiss between two characters we hardly know?! No para mi. The episode goes faster than I expected, but so far all Yuri (the main character) has done is run around cluelessly, scream and get saved by a man who claims her to be his. Not a good start at all. As for the slideshow presentation, I understand the complaints, but personally I don’t mind it. The freeze frames still work for heightened dramatic effect, which actually suits a show as ridiculous (with a straight face) as Red River. I’m not holding out hope for this show, but I might still watch it for my nostalgia kick.
Potential: 30%

Love Unseen Beneath
the Clear Night Sky

Short Synopsis: A withdrawn college student angsts over how helpful he should be to a blind girl in his year.

Wooper: Love Unseen Beneath the Clear Night Sky (Toumei na Yoru ni Kakeru Kimi) is completely unremarkable. Its character designs in particular would make it tough to pick out of a lineup of one, but the show plays it safe in every other aspect too, from animation to dialogue to music. In establishing shots where protagonist Kakeru walks around campus, there are almost no other human beings to be found, and even a crowded orientation party toward the start of the episode doesn’t feel very lively, mostly due to the predictable conversation between him and the more well-adjusted friend who dragged him there. Despite all that, however, I didn’t hate this episode. Kakeru may be stuck in his own head, and we may be stuck there with him (he’s the POV character, rather than his blind classmate Koharu), but his curiosity about her condition and fear of saying or doing the wrong thing around her gives him a lot of room to grow. Eventually he’ll learn not to be surprised at what she’s capable of, and begin to offer help without second guessing whether it’s the right thing to do. The show’s safeness, while somewhat disappointing, also means its main character is normal enough to carry a disability-themed story without any anime bullshit rearing its head. Maybe I’ve got the bar set too low for this one, but I’m actually kind of interested in giving its second episode a go.
Potential: 35%

Tenkosaki

Short Synopsis: A new transfer student reunites with his male childhood friend, only it turns out his friend is actually a girl.

Mario: This show (“Oh Boy, Was I Wrong About Her” in English) runs on a very simple premise, and so far it’s the only thing it has going. To be fair, the main duo has solid chemistry. You can really see they enjoy their time together and that even after seven years apart, they get along very naturally. Saying that though, I wonder if their genuine chemistry alone can save the show from running out of steam. The animation is also flat, with some questionable choices here and there (like the sparkly sequence where they run alongside each other, it’s out of place there). If you are a fan of romance or slice of life shows, then by all means continue with it. In a season where we have You and I are Polar Opposites though, I do feel that show is a much better option.
Potential: 10%

Sayonara Lara

Short Synopsis: A little mermaid trades everything – and eventually loses everything – for her wish to be loved by a human.

Mario: Sayonara Lara might be the most well-known “original” show this season, but it tells a story that the majority of us are familiar with. Yes, it’s a retelling of The Little Mermaid by Andersen, and this first episode mostly follows that storyline. Lara gains her wish to live with a human and loses her voice, in the end turning into sea foam. I love basically every element here: the artstyle is a perfect mix between western and eastern influences, the animation is lovely, and even with tragedy at its core, there are moments that can make you chuckle (such as the early scenes where Lara chomps down a fish). Kinema Citrus’s most well-known work is Made in Abyss, but I prefer the visual absurdity of Revue Starlight much better (if you’ve never seen it, imagine a talking giraffe on a stage), and I am glad that Sayonara Lara falls in the latter camp. The twist right at the end, where she again surfaces in the modern day Japan, is what makes me nervous though. Now that we’re leaving such an enchanting underwater world and getting away from the pages of the original Little Mermaid tale, how will the show proceed? Honestly, I’m not too keen on the updated setting but if this first episode is any indication, maybe I should just trust the process.
Potential: 85%

You and I Are Polar Opposites S2

Short Synopsis: Suzuki and Tani celebrate their first Christmas together, both with their friends and as a couple.

Wooper: Seihantai na Kimi to Boku is back like it never left, because even if it was off the air for three months, it likely never exited production. The show is just as silly, just as heartwarming, and just as interrogative of teenage social dynamics as ever, and that last trait played a big role in this episode. Azuma’s extroversion puts her on a different page from not only her friends, but her peers as a whole, and despite the case she makes for overt friendliness, it doesn’t seem to work out for her – that is, until her neighborhood buddy Taira convinces himself to walk home with her rather than find an excuse not to. I don’t always understand the nuances of the Azuma-related stories in this show, because they speak to Japanese social norms in a way that its subtitles don’t seem equipped for, but I usually enjoy watching along to see what I can learn, and this episode was no different. The actual main attraction, though, was Suzuki and Tani’s first Christmas as an item, made awkward by some interrupted kisses but still successful on the whole. Suzuki’s sentiment that clearly communicated mutual affection is more important than physical intimacy is lovely to see in a show about high schoolers – if only more series (not just anime) operated the same way!
Potential: 75%

Young Ladies Don’t
Play Fighting Games

Short Synopsis: Students at an all-girls academy share a love for fighting games, despite their school’s ban on video games.

Mario: Young Ladies’ biggest downfall lies in the timing of its release, as I can name two other shows that not only handle this type of story better, but also came out earlier. The first one is Rock wa Lady no Tashiname Deshite, which basically shares the same storyline with this show. Both feature students at a prestigious all-girls academy where the girls have to behave in ladylike fashion, but also secretly defy those expectations. Young Ladies doesn’t shy away from portraying these girls going crazy for fighting games – but even then, Rock wa Lady is much more memorable in that aspect, as playing rock music integrates itself much better as a rebellious act than playing video games. And when it comes to the love of fighting / arcade games, this one can never surpass Hi Score Girl, which set the standard nearly a decade ago at this point. The 3D game scenes look neat but they feel so far removed from the rest of the episode, and so far, neither of the lead girls impress me that much. This is a skip for me.
Potential: 10%

Sparks of Tomorrow

Short Synopsis: In an alternate history Meiji era, a teenage boy embarks on a quest to begin the new era of electricity.

Mario: It’s great to see Kyoto Animation finally release Sparks of Tomorrow after 8 years in the making. The production quality is as you would expect from them – the background design is detailed and the animation is smooth, but one thing that does surprise me is the use of more cartoonish facial expressions, something I can’t recall the studio having done before (outside of their Keiichi Arawi adaptations). This alternative world caught between steampunk and electric technology is vibrant too, and I can’t wait to see if the show gets even more creative with its electrical gadgets in the future. What holds its back for now is the story as it takes a while to really get going, and so far it feels a bit too clear-cut who the characters are and what their roles are in this show. I’m a big KyoAni supporter so I’m in no matter what, although I must note that my least favorite show from them is Violet Evergarden and I see traces of that show here (down to the lighting and color palette), so it remains to be seen which side Sparks of Tomorrow will fall on for me.
Potential: 50%

Iron Wok Jan

Short Synopsis: The heir to a competitive cooking style challenges his coworkers at a famous Chinese restaurant.

Wooper: I’ve never seen such a direct appeal for people’s continued viewership as the one at the end of Iron Wok Jan’s (“Tetsunabe no Jan!”) premiere. Its final minute was just Kenjirou Tsuda (who doesn’t even voice a character in the show) talking about the source material, explaining the historical context of its 1995 release, and rejoicing that such a masterpiece had finally received an anime adaptation. I do remember an episode of Gundam G-Reco imploring viewers, “Even if you don’t want to watch, watch!” but at least that was in an episode preview – Iron Wok, on the other hand, did a full 70 seconds of attempted audience capture before the credits even rolled.

Even though its conclusion smacked of desperation, this episode wasn’t bad – it’s way more direct than something like Shokugeki no Souma, getting straight into two quick (albeit talky) cooking showdowns and concisely setting up the familial grudge weighing on the main character’s mind. I like the edginess of his design: cold expression, arched brows, and a frightening amount of eyeliner. He looks like someone who really lives the motto that “cooking is a contest,” and I imagine the show’s philosophy is similar, so there won’t be a lot of faffing about, narratively speaking. The animation is a step below something like Campfire Cooking (and two steps south of Dungeon Meshi), and the best compliment I can give the art direction is “adequate,” but the food looks good once it’s plated, and it reaches those plating scenes on the intensity of the characters. I’m not likely to keep watching, but Iron Wok’s first course was by no means inedible.
Potential: 35%

Grow Up Show: Sunflower Circus

Short Synopsis: Cute girls performing cute circus acts.

Mario: I might be selling Grow Up Show: Sunflower Circus short with my description of it being a cute girls show. While it has an overwhelmingly female cast, with the only male being a terrible Dad, it is at its heart an underdog story about a circus troupe that tries to come out on top. We follow Mizuka, the daughter of said Dad who doesn’t want anything to do with the circus, yet finds herself tangled up in it somehow. That bit is where this episode does little to convince me, as it plays her opposed attitude for laughs. It’s when the episode gets more serious in the latter half that it improves, as Mizuka points out all the other members’ shortcomings and tries to push one of the other girls to her limits. Given that we don’t often see the inner workings of a circus in anime (at least not for more than a single episode), this show already has its niche. Personally, I will give it a couple more tries to see how it goes from here.
Potential: 20%