Author: SuperWooper

Adachi to Shimamura

Short Synopsis: The two titular high school girls skip classes and spend their time together.

Mario’s review:

Well, I didn’t really expect a slow-burn premiere for this kind of story, and I am glad it takes that route. Unlike many anime features in high school settings, the most distinctive characteristic about Adachi to Shimamura is that (at least in this first episode) it doesn’t take place in the classroom, and it features a relatively minimal cast. It’s a compliment by all means, as it reinforces the strengths of this premiere: they trade bombastic, big action for subtle and soft approach. There’s this atmospheric little space where the two main characters spend time together that becomes a character in itself. There’s this moody and uncertain narration, as well as narrative, that is appropriate for their growing relationship. It has some issues, however: the side characters aren’t that fleshed out, the boob-groping joke is especially tiresome, and the weird cuts of a kid in a spacesuit feel really removed from the rest of the episode. The soft art-style is a delight though, and if it keeps its intimate and slow-burn approach, I will be there for the long run.

Potential: 70%

Armitage’s review:

I’ll get straight to the point. I didn’t like the “comedic” boob-grab (though the show did address it as sexual harassment for a change) and I didn’t like the frequency with which the camera lingers on the girls’ thighs. Barring those, I absolutely loved everything else. We’ve got the perfect Fall show here. This is Shoujo-Ai, through and through – tinged with melancholy, bittersweet, yet comforting. If I were to bottle up its pathos then I’d say watching this show is like that feeling you get on the walk home in the evening after a long day, when your mind drifts off and lets in memories of the what-could-have-been’s in your life. Adashima is not trying to be another Bloom into You and it’s all the better for it. This is subtle, minimalist storytelling with a heavy focus on seemingly small character moments, portraying the loneliness of growing-up and being unable to fit in. Of being a creature of habit, one you want to shake. And of being alone with people you call your friends, forever searching for the one who makes you feel at home. I absolutely loved its handling of the two central characters and the duality their perspectives provide to the narrative. To top it off, we have some really refreshing cinematography and a lovely sombre color palette. Yeah, like I said, I adored this premiere and will be blogging the show from next week.

Potential: 90%

Kamisama ni Natta Hi

Short Synopsis: A high school student gets a sudden visit from God, who appears in the form of a young girl and tells him the world will end in one month.

Alternate Synopsis: Odin-chan Wants to Hang Out!

Armitage’s review:

Here’s the deal with every Jun Maeda show. You either hate them (pfft, sucker!) or you love them (pfft, sucker!). As someone who falls into the latter category and for whom this was probably the most anticipated Fall release, this premiere was the most fun 24 minutes of the season. And, no! I am not saying this as a Maeda fan. Well… I mean, I am, but that’s not the only reason I am saying this. Kamisama ni Natta Hi honestly just had an absolute riot for a start. It’s a lot harder to do slapstick anime comedy right than one would imagine and when the comedy isn’t even the main draw of your series, it’s a whole lot easier to mess it up. But the almost non-stop gags, brilliant chemistry between the leads and clever cinematography(!) elevated the already funny screenplay and made it consistently enjoyable. But of course, this is a Maeda show, so red herrings for future heartbreaks are also sprinkled throughout the episode with hints at how Sato-chan’s powers are a sort of Pandora’s box and humanity simply doesn’t know how to handle one of those. All in all, this was an excellent start and I can’t wait for more of the funny banter while also knowing full well that by the end, this show is going to break my heart into pieces before proceeding to stomp on every one of them and of course, I will love it for that.

Potential: 95%

Wooper’s review:

As far as “God appears to the protagonist” setups go, this one was pretty darn good. I’m not ready to eat my words about all Jun Maeda works being cloying trope-fests just yet – nor do I anticipate needing to, since “the world will end in 30 days” is a premise ripe with tragic potential (whether or not it actually happens). If you put aside the man’s past work, though, there’s plenty to enjoy about Kamisama ni Natta Hi. It uses tilted camera angles and varying degrees of natural light to add visual interest to its scenes. It gradually breaks down the MC’s skepticism towards the goddess’ precognitive abilities, instead of relying on a single eureka moment. Most importantly, it’s funny, which means it’s fun to watch. The disastrous outcome of the protag’s romantic confession was a hoot, and the preceding ‘predict the pitches’ scene functioned as both a clever gag and a warning about the accuracy of the goddess’ foresight. The extended dialogue between the leads may have tested my patience in a couple spots (particularly when it was capped with one of her mini-tantrums), but the script was enjoyably snappy on the whole. This may be the show to turn Maeda haters into Maeda tolerators, so it bears a lot of responsibility this season.

Potential: 70%

Taiso Samurai

Short Synopsis: A former gymnast suffers repeated distractions while trying to tell his daughter about his impending retirement.

Lenlo’s review:

This was… it was definitely a thing. Not the thing I expected, nor the thing I wanted, but definitely a thing. I’ll be honest, Taiso Samurai kinda looks like shit. It’s trying to ride this line between comedic, light hearted absurdity with things like the ninja theming or the big fantasy bird, and a more emotional/serious story of fatherhood and careers. But it rides that line so poorly that neither of these work. It’s not as serious as any number of sports anime, nor is it as stupid and fun as something like Hypnosis Mic. It’s just kinda… there. Oh and the visuals just look like shit. I’m still going to stick with it for a bit, because gymnastics is an interesting sport. But I am expecting nothing out of it.

Potential: 10%

Wooper’s review:

Taiso Samurai is delightfully weird. Our main character Jotaro Aragaki is an airheaded gymnast who has managed to miss his coach’s blatant hints about retirement for years. He owns a gigantic blue toucan (?) that loves eating corn on the cob almost as much as it loves producing alarming reaction faces. He takes his daughter to a ninja-themed fair and somehow returns home with a foreign stalker in tow, who then moves into his house because his mom said it was okay. These are the sorts of curiosities that the show is built on, rather than a particular sport or genre blueprint. It’s sort of grounded in the relationship between Jotaro and his daughter – both of whom are adrift in the wake of Mrs. Aragaki’s passing – but mostly it’s unfettered by conventional plot or character beats. It reminds me of Samurai Flamenco (once it had moved beyond that episode), another series where literally anything could become part of its narrative fabric after the shortest of explanations. Will the stalker (turned tenant) become Jotaro’s pupil, or will they be athletic rivals? Who were those suits chasing him at the ninja fair? Will Big Bird survive the whole series without choking to death on an ear of corn? The only way to know for sure is to keep tuning in each week!

Potential: 65%

Kimi to Boku no Saigo no Senjou

Short Synopsis: The youngest ever “national weapon” teenager gets out of prison, fights the overpowered royal witch, “princess catches” her, then sees her at the opera and gives her a cheap handkerchief.

Lenlo’s review:

I mean… eeeeeh? It’s fine? I don’t really have a lead in for this show like I do others because I can’t really find anything that is particularly praiseworthy or that dunk-worthy about it. Visually it looked fine, but something about it just feels off to me. I can’t tell if it’s a weightlessness or some other kind of inconsistency, but whenever I see Not!Kirito jump around I just can’t really get into that. That said, I do like the thick linework when it pops up and I think Saigo no Senjou is going to have a lot of good looking still shots because of it. Meanwhile story wise it’s once again very… eh? It’s not inspired in the slightest, our MC is just Kirito with just as little actual expression and the whole opening sequence of him freeing someone, to being in prison, to being freed himself and sent on a kill quest just… it rings hollow to me? It feels like someone’s first draft of “How do I make it clear he is sympathetic to witches while still letting him fight witches.” As a whole, Amun’s comparison below to Assassins Pride is apt. Because this show is just as much a nothing burger as Assassins Pride. If you have time to burn, there’s no reason not to watch it. I just don’t have any reason to watch it.

Potential: 50% I guess?

Amun’s review:

Wait, what the – this was pretty good! For a show with very little fanfare (I couldn’t even find a trailer), Kimi to Boku no Saigo no Senjou had a nice first act. Sure it’s cheesy, but that 3D assisted fight scene looked great. And if you get over the obvious Romeo and Juliet plot being lathered everywhere (I mean they legitimately had it as a play in the episode), there are some interesting devices at work (why would a national weapon free a random enemy from max security prison?). The character designs are nothing to write home about but for a modern era fantasy/magic show – I’ve definitely seen worse. One comparable show that came to mind is Assassin’s Pride from a few seasons ago – not the highest ceiling, but it was pretty entertaining. Only problem I see is keeping the same quality for a whole season, but I’m impressed so far.

Potential: 80%

Noblesse

Short Synopsis: A godlike vampire acquires a cell phone. Meanwhile, a botched human experiment defends his brainwashed pals from an anime bully.

Wooper’s review:

It took me a while to figure out why this episode looked so stiff, but I think I’ve got it: everyone’s posture is too good. Most of the characters stand ramrod straight, with only a few of the antagonists being marked by imperfect spinal curvature. I suppose this is a logical choice, since a straight back enhances the otherworldly beauty of Raizel, the sort-of vampire at the heart of this story. Or it would have, if Rai had done anything of note in this premiere apart from send his first text message. Without a clear main character to follow, we jumped back and forth between a mercenary band, some amnesia-addled high schoolers, and M-21, a genetic experiment with Wolverine claws who’s Very Sad that his partner died. When did his partner die? During “Noblesse: Awakening,” the OVA prequel to this series, without which you may get lost during this episode. “Awakening” has a rough couple of opening minutes, but on the whole it’s a much neater technical feat than this passable TV version. If I had to guess, I’d say Noblesse will end up being the redheaded stepchild of Crunchyroll’s Webtoon adaptations (quite a feat, given how poorly the last two were received).

Potential: Watch the OVA instead

Lenlo’s review:

Round 3 on Crunchyroll’s quest of adapting Webtoons, does it fare any better than Tower of God or God of Highschool? I’ll cut right to it, the answer is no, it doesn’t. In fact it’s probably the worst of the three, both from a production and source standpoint. Where Tower of God at least attempted to give us an engaging mystery in a unique fantasy setting and where God of Highschool at least had some baller production at times to look at, Noblesse has neither of those things. It’s an uninteresting vampire show that requires you to watch an OVA prequel series just to understand anything in this first episode. Meanwhile, as Wooper says above, everything just feels… stiff. I don’t know what it is about vampire stories that brings out the worst in authors, but we can do better than this right?

Potential: Don’t watch the OVA, just go watch Hellsing instead

Akudama Drive

Short Synopsis: Half a dozen insane criminals race to prevent their leader’s beheading, and end up causing more beheadings in the process.

Wooper’s review:

This was one of the wildest anime episodes I’ve witnessed in years. It starts simply enough, cribbing from Blade Runner and Akira’s settings to create a lurid sci-fi future of its own. We’re introduced to a morally upright girl who looks to be the main character, and whose innocence will play nicely against the ugliness of dystopian city life. And then, BAM! Criminals called “Akudama” explode onto the screen one after another, leaving corpses and debris in their wake. Their arrivals are signaled by psychedelic comic book panels that consume the entire screen, while their over-the-top personalities can’t be contained by a mere 1080p display. There’s a guy whose motorcycle can shoot the same grappling wires as Attack on Titan’s maneuvering gear, a dude who dismantles at least a hundred robots via superhuman strength, and a busty doctor who operates on a dying man and kills nearly ten onlookers amidst lustful paroxysms mid-surgery. There are giant eyeball droids, laser beam fights, decapitations, and explosions galore. All of this is pulled off with rapid-fire editing and creative scene transitions that give Akudama Drive a visual language unlike anything I’ve seen in 2020. I have little faith that future episodes will match this one’s ambition, but the show has certainly earned another couple glances nonetheless.

Potential: 75%

Lenlo’s review:

You know what, I’m in. I’m down for whatever Akudama Drive is selling. From the Cyberpunk/Blade Runner-esque world to whatever absurd death game we are ending on with these collars, I am along for the ride. I agree with Wooper that the odds Akudama Drive is able to keep this absurdity up and keep it interesting are low. But for now, between the insane personalities and the sheer absurdity of our lead character turning herself into a master criminal through the power of bullshit and the sunk cost fallacy, I am down with this show.

Potential: 80%

Armitage’s review:

Guy on a ‘Tron’ bike that shoots anti-tank lasers rides on skyscraper windows and gets himself involved in a Cyberpunk Battle Royale. Eh, seems tame.

Potential: to crash and burn gloriously.

Amun’s review:

Yeah! All I want to say is the depiction of hacking as a superpower was excellent here – mostly because it involves little typing and lots of flying around on robot drones.

Potential: to have a gloriously gory body count!

Senyoku no Sigrdrifa

Short Synopsis: Odin’s daughter helps save humanity but gets all of her allies killed in the process. Every time. It’s become a thing. So she goes to a laid back Japanese base to try and avoid team-killing her yuri-bait copilots for a change.

Amun’s review:

Recent years have seen just a rash of hobby or profession specific anime. From trains to tanks to WW2 planes – if there are otaku for it, it’s getting a show. Senyoku no Sigrdrifa is obviously made for aircraft enthusiasts of all eras (there are biplanes, Mustangs were in the ED, there were Vulcans for the Cold War era, even some of the modern Raptors. B-2 bombers? Sure. Even a futuristic Superfortress? Why not.) Even the main characters’ plane selections are rather clever – each being vintage but having different strengths and weaknesses; I especially like the inclusion of an aquatic plane – that leaves some room for interesting fight sequences. Anyways, as I’m sure you can’t tell, I do NOT typically go for these kinds of niche shows. My biggest complaint is if you’re not fanatical about the gimmick, then the show has no other legs to stand on. But Senyoku no Sigrdrifa just might have something else worthwhile – the character dynamics held off (mostly) on the yuri bait and actually portrayed a semblance of emotional depth. The announcement over the loudspeaker about the new Valkyrie’s Shinigami nickname was baller – I’ll watch another episode just for that. If we keep up an interesting storyline without devolving to the author’s otaku tendencies, this is definitely watchable.

Potential: 50%

Mario’s review:

Penned by the man behind Re:Zero, this double length episode has a big hurdle to clear. So far it does the job for me. While the setting is a bit generic at this point (military girls with exotic jet/ tank/ ship are a dime a dozen in the last few years), it delves more into the main girl’s psychology and how she finds herself at home in this new environment with a set of quirky cast members. There’s still more than meets the eyes too, with the unclear nature of Pillars. Although a tad bit generic I still enjoy the setting well enough and I like how Claudia bounces off with other characters. Does it justify its 45-minute runtime? Maybe not as it feels like 2 regular episodes put together, but I will definitely check back on it to see how dark things will become (yes, IT DEFINITELY WILL).

Potential: 60%

Iwa Kakeru! Sport Climbing Girls

Short Synopsis: An empowering story which doesn’t portray girls as sensitive, touch-me-not stereotypes and shows that we can also be just as competent in sports involving physicality. (Genre: Ecchi)

Lenlo’s review:

Look, you have to try really hard to fuck up a show about muscular women doing muscular women things with me. But somehow, some way, Iwa Kakeru achieved it. Now I don’t have the same issues with production Armitage has. For instance, that’s just how climbing walls look, the different colored holds and all that. I could do without the Candy Crush puzzle metaphor but uh… It isn’t the worst thing I’ve ever seen? No, my big issue is just as Armitage pointed out, the over sexualization of it all. Don’t get me wrong, I like fit women. But I like fit women doing things rather than the wall or the rope or whatever other weird fetish Iwa Kakeru is making up. And because of this, it just doesn’t manage to land anything. The hot girls part is ruined by the characters actions and them being some of the least appealing muscular women I’ve seen in awhile, while the actual narrative is ruined by… well, being an ecchi show.

Potential: Go watch actual women’s rock climbing out of 100.

Armitage’s review:

Just when you think you’ve seen it all, anime throws at you “High-school girls getting horny while watching someone climb a wall”.
Sighs
Are we gonna start lewding inanimate objects now? I mean, we could have had a good show here. We really could’ve. We could have had something close to an anime equivalent of the ‘Free Solo’ documentary. But, NO! Instead, we get crappy character motivations, an abhorrent sense of pacing between subsequent events, random camera shots of boob-shakes and ass-clenches and WALLS MADE OF UGLY M&Ms. Oh, and of course, none of this is well-produced, even. Because why do that, when you can have a girl make erotic noices while holding a rope instead?? The characters are stereotypical, their motivations are stupid, their conversations robotic. Nothing works like it was intended. Actually, I don’t even know what the intention was. Like, what is the demographic for this show?! Why, humanity? Why ya gotta let me down time and again?

Potential: of birthing a new ‘Wall’ fetish.

Munou na Nana

Short Synopsis: The class punching bag befriends a mind-reading transfer student at a school for superpowered kids.

Wooper’s review:

This premiere springs a twist on you near the end of its runtime, hoping to recontextualize the previous 18 minutes and hook you for the rest of the season. Ordinarily I’d refrain from drawing attention to that strategy and let the show do its thing, but my issue with Talentless Nana is that the twist doesn’t make up for the exceedingly dull prologue. It’s about students at a superpower-themed high school, where the teachers hope to train leaders in the fight against the Enemies of Humanity. The show wastes no time in wasting this already-tired premise; the best way to describe its vibe is “My Hero Academia without the wide scope,” or perhaps “Iruma-kun without the interesting setting.” The main dude is a wimp whose status as a Nice Guy is confirmed by a girl with mind-reading powers, so you know he must be Extra Nice (he even likes cats!). MC-kun and Miss Mind Reader grow fond of each other over the course of a painfully simple story (he’s suspicious of her kindness, but then she does something Extra Kind and he’s completely won over), and then the tweest drops in the final minutes. It’s a big one – maybe even a good one – but it doesn’t make me hopeful that the show will be any less lame going forward. Your mileage may vary.

Potential: 20%

Mario’s review:

This is one of these premieres where I’d suggest going into it as blind as possible (and be patient not to drop it before the end of the episode). Just like Ore wo Suki a few seasons back, the fun of watching this show lies in how it establishes some well-worn, tired cliches and then spins the hell out of them. For me at the end the twist works. It clicks as it asks the very nature of “who is the real villain here” as all we hear from the kids so far is that they have to fight something as vague as Enemies of Humanity – could that be humans without any special abilities? While the twist does not necessarily mean “better”, it more than establishes the direction the show is going forward – and I’m all for it.

Potential: 50% or “he even likes cats”