Author: SuperWooper

Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari

Short Synopsis: A college student is transported to another world, where he must train to defend a medieval kingdom with nothing but an enchanted shield.

Lenlo’s Review:
For the required Isekai of the season, it’s surprisingly not a terrible fare. Shield Hero surprised me by taking the general premise where the Isekai Hero starts OP and above everyone else and throws it out the window. I like that our hero has to work from the bottom, with the potential for power in the sword, but clear deficiencies in combat and being behind everyone else in terms of gear, money and respect. He basically has to be a tank. So long as Shield Hero doesn’t try to turn him into some combat badass and keeps him in the support role, the unflappable tank who only sets up the win for other characters, I think I could really enjoy this. To address the Animal Girl in the room though, I am not inherently against the slavery aspect. The hero is already at the bottom rung of society, so he can no doubt relate and connect to the slaves. That’s basically what he is with these “Waves”. So I think the slavery aspect could make for some interesting character relationships. What bothers me is that the first/main companion/slave is an animal girl that will no doubt eventually fall for him, ala Stockholm Syndrome. I think that is an icky, creepy relationship to focus and build on and I really hope Shield Hero has more restraint than that. We will have to wait and see. Finally, visually, Shield Hero isn’t anything special. There is some smooth motion when fighting the balloon monsters, but we have yet to reach any kind of set piece. So I would call it average in this department so far. Regardless, it has my interest enough that I am gonna keep up with it for at least a few more weeks.
Potential: 45%

Mario’s review:
Why do these isekai anime love game mechanics so much? Everytime these game mechanics spelled out, they basically lost me. “Status options” on the screen; level up? For most of Tate double-length premiere it runs as a typical isekai, and that’s exactly the point because up to half-an-hour mark the show reveals its hands. It’s a good thing that our protagonist hits rock bottom and we see how he eventually becomes cynical. Has to gain the power, respect and even companion himself without any “cheat” is always a welcome. What worries me however is the end. Not necessary about the “slavery’ aspect, but more that it’s still self-fulfilling in the end: he still gets a comrade who happens to be bloody hot (demi) girl. So what makes or breaks a show is how well it makes him suffer because the more he goes through some real drama the more earned his efforts will be. Visually it doesn’t impress me but knowing this is from Kinema Citrus I have my full trust. I’m also worried that characters can fall into common tropes since aside from our titular characters, the others are quite stock characters. Considered that was the point before the “twist”, we will have to see how well-developed of this new girl in the next episode.
Potential: 30%

 

Ueno-san wa Bukiyou

Short Synopsis: A genius schoolgirl attempts to attract her clubmate’s interest via lewd inventions and situations.

Lenlo’s Review:
The only short I have really finished to completion was last season’s Honda-san. And even then, I found myself not all that enthused by it at the end. That puts Ueno-san already at a disadvantage, because I find it visually and thematically inferior to Honda-san in every way. The topic of a middle-schooler trying to get a boys attention is dull, the dialogue is dull, the visuals are washed out. At least Honda-san had an interesting style, it generated colorful and engaging screens, even if they didn’t move much. Ueno-san though is just… dull. I keep saying that word, but it’s the best way to describe it. It took me 30 minutes to finish a 10 minute short because I had to force myself through it. Suffice to say, this is a hard pass for me.
Potential: 0%

Wooper’s review:
I’m a fan of half-length anime comedies, but given how cheaply produced and one-note they tend to be, what counts the most is often their subject matter. In Ueno-san’s case, we’re dealing with a girl who wants a boy to notice her, but can’t think of a way to attract his attention apart from using him as a guinea pig in her perverted science experiments. This isn’t a bad premise in isolation, but the series is so invested in the shy, unable-to-confess -dere trope that it dominates the proceedings. Ueno-san’s inability to tell her crush that she likes him doesn’t offer any commentary on young love beyond, “It’s hard to admit that you like somebody.” Her red twintails and white-pupiled eyes make for an attention-grabbing design (the one redeeming feature of this episode), and if the ED is any indication, plenty more girls will be introduced in the coming weeks. If that’s your bag, Ueno-san might be worth 11 minutes every week, but based on this premiere, it isn’t worth mine.
Potential: 10%

 

Pastel Memories

Short Synopsis: Four girls working in a manga cafe try to find a collection of lost manga.

Lenlo’s Review:
Pastel Memories managed to successfully draw me in, get me interested, and then lose me completely all within the same episode. I was all for the fluffy concept of bringing back Otaku culture one series at a time. Scouring a dead series or genre to bring it back, because it meant something special to someone. That is an interesting, episodic concept to me and gives them a lot of freedom to play around with. They could animate different or present each story differently, in the style of the manga or series they are hunting down that week. But then at the end they randomly become magical girls fighting some virus? And this virus is no doubt responsible for the death of Otaku culture no doubt I am sure. It’s like a completely different show and it confuses the shit out of me. Not to mention that this supposedly failing cafe run by children somehow has enough revenue to not only support 10 employees, but to have them running around looking for manga all day. Pastel Memories had the base for a fun, wholesome, episodic series about Otaku culture and proceeded to completely ignore it for the lowest common denominator magical girl tripe. Color me surprised with a healthy dose of pastel, cause I am done and not coming back.
Potential: 0%

Mario’s review:
It’s another anime set in Akihabara that aims squarely on the otaku culture. While I can safely say that I’m not within the target audience, the very concept of reviving a lost culture is an interesting one for me. So the part where the team searches for the full collection of the manga works well enough for me. Sadly though, I’m never sold on the setting itself. The cast works in an otaku cafe where they hardly have any customer, but I counted like 10 people working there. There isn’t a clear time set (how many years since it loses its fandom?), and I find it strange that these manga stores don’t have some sort of network before. But the most head-scratching part comes down at the end, where supposedly the girls have to go the another dimension to destroy virus? Where the heck does that part come from? It feels like another show entirely. It’s jarring no matter how you look at it.
Potential: 10%

Release the Spyce

Short Synopsis: A girl is scouted to join a bunch of high school girls being ninjas.

Aidan’s review:
The opening scene of this episode had me feeling like I was in the 90’s again watching a really crappy version of the matrix. This show is certainly trying hard to look cool but so hard that it just comes across as really dumb. The science behind everything here is ridiculous and I am not sure if the writing itself is aware of it. I mean the “Spyce” in the shows title appears to be a drug based on the whole “Humans only use 10% of their brains” myth and the main character seems to have a supernatural sense of sight and smell but even more ludicious, the ability to diagnose physical and mental problems by licking people. This show seems to be targeting two conflicting demographics, those who want cute girls doing cute things and those who want action. The two are obviously at odds and it doesn’t help that the action is just painfully trying too hard. This show desperately wants you to think it’s cool and just as expected comes off as rather lame instead. I am not sure about a show which glorifies drug use either as this spyce turns girls into superheroes with seemly no negative consequences. This is just a really dumb poorly written show.
Potential: 0%

Mario’s review:
Release the Spyce is pretty much what you expected, a nonsensical fun ride. This episode spends its amount of time into two subplots: cute girls having their normal everyday school life and cute girls moonlighting as spies – or more as ninja, or more as heroes in cute outfits. Some details might stretch its credulity a little (ninja frog? Hell, yeah! Licking to sense other person’s personality?), but to its credits it doesn’t take those seriously. I suppose the main character Momo embodies the first episode’s strengths and weaknesses so far. On the narrative level, her role works as she’s a qualified addition to the cast. Unlike other main helpless protagonists who usually get sucked to the case all by accident, Momo gets there all by her ability and her determination to fight crimes. Her hesitation when it comes to action, her inspiration comes from her late-police father, all work by that glance. On the negative side, she never feels like a real person to me. Her ability is nonsensical and there isn’t much subtext going on in this chick flicks. The cast fares much worse as for now they fall into archetypal roles, and the villains are clearly evil and maniac. It’s too simple and straightforward for its own good.
Potential: 40%

 

Ulysses: Jeanne d’Arc to Renkin no Kishi

Short Synopsis: A wannabe alchemist searches for a way to grant his childhood friend immortality.

Lenlo’s Review:
Ah, my first bamboozling of the season. It feels… bad. I went into this expecting something completely different than it turned out to be. Based on the description and some promo art, I was expecting some kind of historical epic during the Hundred Years’ War, maybe with some fantastical local elements ala Mahoutsukai no Yome thrown in there. Instead I get a high school harem series set in the 14th century, with a bunch of cliches that don’t belong there. I’ll be frank, I lost my interest when I saw 3 anime girl stereotypes in the same shot 1 minute in, all staring at our bland male leads empty seat. Color me disappointed and move on. There are better series in this season.
Potential: 0%

Wooper’s review:
How much longer will it be before the average Japanese animator loses all ability to draw walk cycles? If the premiere of Ulysses: Jeanne d’Arc too Long Title is anything to go by, it could happen before 2019 hits. This episode was chock-full of awkward and aborted motion, from sword fights that freeze at inappropriate times to characters that are supposed to be entering a room, but appear instead to be marching in place. The low budget appearance is just what this story deserves, as its historical setting is squandered on a cookie cutter harem setup. There’s even some fetish baiting, with the most nervous of all the same-faced girls peeing herself because a bird startles her in the middle of a dark forest. Fear not, however, as our gentlemanly lead character proclaims that he’s got a little sister (of course he does), so he’s totally used to spontaneous urination. If you want to write a series this insultingly bad, why not just set it during the modern day? A quick Google search reveals that the link between the Hundred Years’ War and alchemy is tenuous at best, so you could have just made this another high school battle harem rather than dragging Joan of Arc’s name through the mud. There’s a time skip twist just before the credits, which is the only decent part of the episode, but it’s not worth the price of entry. Do yourself a lifelong favor and never, ever watch this show.
Potential: 0%

 

Anima Yell!

Short Synopsis: An excitable high school girl attempts to start a cheerleading club.

Lenlo’s Review:
Ah, the seasonal entry into “Cute Girls doing Cute Things”. This time that thing is Cheerleading, a traditional highschool activity. Anima Yell looks competent enough. The art isn’t bad, the animation is enough that for a few shots I was actually surprised with how the well the Cheerleading worked. Anima Yell even took the slow approach of gathering the club members and not just overloading us with everything all at once. Most of all though, it was actually kinda funny. It’s not my proudest moment, but I giggled at the “Chair” joke the first 2 times it came up, I’ll admit it. Basically, if you want a show you can sit back, relax, not have to think too deeply about the philosophical meaning of and just enjoy, you could do a lot worse than Anima Yell. Yeah, it’s not my cup of tea, but I’m the kind of asshole who enjoyed Ergo Proxy, and I can say Anima Yell is at the very least, competent in every way that matters.
Potential: 30%

Wooper’s review:
This is another high energy club anime in the vein of Anime-Gataris or Comic Girls, which should tell you everything you need to know. If you like pink-haired protagonists and would cite “irreversibly cheerful” as your mood of choice, Anima Yell was made just for you. The character designs won’t win any awards for originality, but they’re moe enough to make your teeth fall out. The animation isn’t exactly top shelf, but it’s competent, even for a series that revolves around a movement-heavy sport like cheerleading. The plot point of gathering five members to start a high school club won’t set the world on fire, but it’s a good jumping-off point for some decent character work, should the show be so inclined. One thing Anima Yell does better than a lot of its contemporaries is striking a balance between earnestness and clumsiness in its main character. When both of these traits are present in one person, they typically vie for dominance, when they should be harmonizing instead. This series takes the latter approach, which makes for a pleasant watching experience. Anima Yell’s lack of ambition and familiar template will discourage a lot of fans from picking it up (myself included), but it looks to be one of the year’s better entries in this genre.
Potential: 30%

Radiant

Short Synopsis: A young sorcerer takes on a giant monster without his teacher’s help.

Aidan’s review:
This was certainly quite different from the French manga I read and I was concerned that the Japanese animation studio decided to go anime original with the product. However it seems the creator of the original french manga(Yes, French) decided that the first 5 episodes would be a rewrite of the story. This could be due to the general consensus that I heard that Radiants first two volumes are too formulaic shounen and not very interesting. However it seems that most agree that once this story gets into its first real arc then it improves dramatically. Of course the question is, how long is that going to take and will it reach that point in a 21 episode run? I don’t think what I seen this episode is bad, as a matter of fact I would say that out of most recent efforts this show captured the spirit of golden age shounen quite well. The big problem is that everything you see here is very much an echo of shounen you have seen before. Thus your opinion on this show very much depends on your exposure to shounen anime. As someone who has seen a large share of Shounen anime I would say this show is fine and I have seen shounens that didn’t work as well as it did. The animation is certainly better than something like Black Clover as well. There is potential for this one to surprise but that’s if it can keep viewers interested long enough to pull out it’s big guns and if those guns can truly blow people away so that they forgive a slow start.
Potential: 60%

Wooper’s review:
I’ll be blunt – I didn’t enjoy a single thing about this premiere. Some people are excited for the cultural broadening of anime that Radiant represents (the source material is French), but if tired shounen copycats are the type of non-Japanese works that get selected, the net change is hardly significant. This show features a loud, spiky-haired magic user who can punch things really hard, and who must deal with discrimination based on his sorcerer status. He has a teacher who’s strict but secretly kind-hearted, and he even saves a young boy from a frightening monster in the very first episode. Is any of this sounding familiar? The series boasts strange character designs, verdant backgrounds, and European music, but these elements aren’t enough to distract from how safe and shallow the final product feels. There was only one image that interested me in these 23 minutes: a wide shot of the teacher’s airship against a moonlit sky. Apart from that, my eyes were starving for visual stimulation. My funny bone fared even worse, nearly disintegrating at the attempted physical comedy on display. For the sake of French comic authors everywhere, I hope that Seiji Kishi butchered this adaptation, so they can put all the blame on him and try again some day with a different director at the helm. If you’ve never met a shounen you didn’t love, this will be right up your alley. Otherwise, steer clear (no pun intended).
Potential: 20%

 

Goblin Slayer

Short Synopsis: A party of adventurers take on a quest to rescue some girls from goblins.

Aidan’s review:
Well that was dark, both figuratively and literally considering the full episode took place in a cave. The first ten minutes or so played a long con of showing a bunch of characters who looked to be main cast worthy and their first job of taking on goblins. What follows is the perfect example of what not to do for anyone who’s played an MMO or RPG. Like not damaging the quest giver who recommended that you wait for a higher ranked adventurer before going on the quest. Or remembering to take potions. Or not leaving behind your mage and healer while running on ahead. Or bringing a longsword to fight in a cramped cave. Or the tank swinging his sword wildly making it that the main dps couldn’t help out. So this episode mainly serves to do two things, one is showing how goblins are irredeemable assholes and two is showing how badass goblin slaying batman is. Believe or not considering how graphic this was it was toned down from the manga which was rather gratuitous with showing the rape and violence. White Fox took the more tasteful route of not directly showing rape but still making sure we knew what was happening offscreen. For a first episode it does the job of setting up the premise and the only real hiccup was White Fox replacing Goblin Slayer with a CGI model at times and thinking viewers wouldn’t notice. I hope that doesn’t become a common occurrence.
Potential: 75%

Lenlo’s Review:
Ah White Fox, we meet once again. Your 2 for 4 with me right now, so time to break the tie. So far, Goblin Slayer is preeetty good. I saw the bait and switch of the adventuring team coming a mile away, but it still worked. I found the light foreshadowing of the longsword and the cave walls/ceiling to work well. And most of all, I enjoyed how the Goblins were suitably threatening. So often anime, and fresh DnD DM’s, forget that just Goblins being weak stat wise means they have to make up for it in other areas, such as cleverness and numbers. Being underestimated. It makes me think that our lead will face some real challenges going through the series, even if I have no idea what the central plot may end up being. The fact that Goblin Slayer didn’t just cut his way through the horde either was appreciated. He used a very pragmatic approach of traps, using his resources, knowledge and the geography of the cave. As Aidan said, he is closer to a sort of Batman than a general overpowered MC. The two aspects that bugged me, that will most likely become a reoccurring thing if its being used this much in the first episode, is the CGI model of the Goblin Slayer and the rape. One of these things is less concerning than the other. I don’t think we are escaping that. But you know what, I don’t care. I am in for the season Goblin Slayer. Don’t disappoint me.
Potential: 70%

 

SSSS.GRIDMAN

Short Synopsis: A boy with amnesia has to turn into a giant robot to fight Kaiju.

Aidan’s review:
Allow me to be blunt. I have absolutely, positively no idea how to react to this one. The inspiration certainly seems to be along the lines of Tokusatsu shows like Kamen rider, in fact this does seem to be a sequel to a lesser known one. However the episode itself seems to be half school life and half giant monster fighting. What throws me off so much however is the nature of the dialogue which some have deemed realistic but I myself find rather quirky. I wish I could react to a giant monster ripping apart the town with as much nonchalance as these characters do. In fact these characters seem to react to any supernatural incident with mild disinterest. The main character has amnesia(Tired trope indeed) and both he along with everyone else treats it like he stubbed a toe. “You got amnesia? Well that’s odd but eh, you will get over it” That’s what is throwing me off throughout this episode because the characters seem to care very little about the events of the plot, causing a strange disconnect between myself and the story unfolding. Thus I cannot get invested in any of it but even then I just think this isn’t the kind of show for me. I feel this is more for fans of the original Gridman or other Tokusatsu media.
Potential: 0%

Lenlo’s Review:
If nothing else, I have to give Gridman props for trying something interesting. Not with the story, that’s some standard Super Sentai Kamen Rider fare, though I do like the monsters being carved and created. Not the characters, because amnesia is a played out trope that every anime fan is probably tired of. No, I have to give it props for its direction. In just this first episode Gridman tried a number of interesting shots, even if they failed. The single frame cuts during a conversation, as if time is passing for awhile and its just cutting to the start of each sentence. Or the long pause after the ball knocks the sandwich to the ground. I’m not sure either of them worked as intended, but I give props to Trigger for trying something new like always. As far as the actual show goes though, I am personally not interested. I grew out of Power Rangers a long time ago, and I am not familiar with the source material of Gridman enough to truly care. As Aidan points out, the characters react to everything like they have seen it a thousand times, even the giant Kaiju showing up out of nowhere. It’s the same offbeat style Trigger is known for, but here it bugs me. Still, if you like Sentai Shows and if Gridman keeps up some of these interesting directional choices, you might enjoy it.
Potential: 15%

Dakaretai Otoko Ichii ni Odosarete Imasu

Short Synopsis: A beloved actor loses his #1 spot to an industry newcomer, whose attraction to him complicates their relationship.

Mario’s review:
Oh boy, they go for *hardcore* borderline-porn BL. Oh boy, it’s the usual boy force-kisses the other, and of course the victim finds the predator too charming that they can’t do anything but be swept away. Damn it. I have to kick myself for watching this in public, as I don’t know how the people around me would think when the lines “I want to have sex with you” flashing repeatedly on the screen. Damn it. It would’ve been a powerful love story if they don’t rely on those uncomfortable tropes. One thing this show works quite well is that it portrays the male lead in an interesting way. He’s a mountain of personal conflicts: he hates this guy and loves him at the same time. His actions sometimes contradict with his thoughts, but they all reveal a deeper side of him. That he tries his earnest to help “his rival” with his experience makes him an interesting character to follow. The main draw of this series, however is the hot, burning hot passions from two sexy “huggable” naked boys, and for me, it’s just way too hardcore for me to fully embrace. It might be one of the better shounen ai titles, but it’s strictly for the fans of this genre.
Potential: 10%

Wooper’s review:
This would be a hard review to write if I danced around the subject, so I’ll make it short: there’s an attempted rape scene around the midway point of this episode, and it’s kind of played for laughs. An up-and-coming actor takes incriminating cell phone footage of an older co-worker, who says he’ll do “anything” for it to be deleted, and the younger man’s request is sex. The older guy’s refusal is ignored, and he has to construct a literal barricade of furniture, potted plants, and a flat screen TV to trap his attacker in the bathroom. A rowdy, vaguely flamenco-influenced guitar tune plays intermittently throughout this scene, which is in remarkably poor taste. What’s worse, the initial awkwardness this causes quickly gives way to an amicable relationship, which eventually features consensual sex. Based on the terrible message at the heart of its plot, I’m tempted to label this entire series a dumpster fire, and for many viewers it will be. But I do want to praise the internal monologue of the lead character (the victim of the aforementioned assault), whose arrogance and narcissism create an interesting lens through which we view the entertainment industry. His love for himself is equaled only by his love of his work, which is expressed in the form of both scathing criticism and smart advice. He’s a funny, worthwhile character, conceived with more purpose than a lot of the useless teenage protags that populate anime right now. Shame about the visually boring, morally repulsive show surrounding him.
Potential: 20%

 

Kishuku Gakkou no Juliet

Short Synopsis: Legitimized Highschool gang warfare in the style of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, but now with Tsundere’s.

Aidan’s review:
As far as this story is concerned this was likely the best opening episode it could have. I will even admit to being a bit of a sucker for a good confession scene. Of course this is pretty much as good as it gets as we already have a second girl her whose feelings are doomed to be unrequited along with the other girls about to come along. For this is my most hated kind of harem, the one that keeps adding characters despite the fact that the main couple has already been decided. I mean the point of a harem is having a bunch of girls go after the main and each having at least a slim chance of winning. Here every girl after this has no chance so what is the bloody point? Outside of the relationship between the two leads this show has nothing really to offer besides cliche. It’s decently watchable so far but as someone who rea don in the manga I can say that whatever charm it has wears thin quite fast. Not to mean the constant competition between the two houses just gets really annoying as they constantly repeat how much they wanna kick the crap out of each other. I say for some this could prove to be a decent show to pass the time with but otherwise there isn’t that much to it.
Potential: 20%

Lenlo’s Review:
So, as has happened all too often this season, I have no idea what to make of this one. Based on the title, it looks like Kishuku is supposed to be some kind of Romeo and Juliet story, once again revamped for high school in some fictional Not Europe country? If so I really don’t know what to make of it, because it takes the basic premise of Romeo and Juliet and then proceeds to just ignore Shakespeare and go off on its own thing. On one hand that’s refreshing, in that its not the same story over and over again. On the other, there is a reason Shakespeare is still performed today hundreds of years later. Looks like another generic “Will they, won’t they” rom-com to me. Dull.
Potential: 0%

 

Irozuku Sekai no Ashita kara

Short Synopsis: A passionless depressed witch gets sent back in time to experience life with her young Grandmother.

Mario’s review:
I’m not hard-pressed to say that Irozuku is the most gorgeous production in this season so far. It has rich background arts, expressive characters, fluid animation and it’s so goddamn striking in everything it does. The fireworks scenes are beautiful both in color and in muted black & white through Hitomi’s point of view, and the train sequence is impressive. In fact, its production values are too great that it kinda overwhelms the narrative. I like the meat of the story, a girl who loses her passion for magic, and for the colors of life, literally, but what sold me on her characters and the world so far is purely on the visual level, not the narrative. Her character is passive, not in a good way. She’s passive in a way that she seems lost and always waits for the plot brings her along. In addition, while I appreciate the way her Grandma brings her back to this world, the manner the show does it is way too contrived with a vague explanation that “it has been decided. You will understand”. I’m not too sold with the story so far, but the natural chemistry between the cast, and the rich art designs in both worlds more than make up for its more familiar story.
Potential: 70%

Lenlo’s Review:
You know, I am starting to think I was wrong about this season, that it just might have a decent set of shows. Irozuku is one of the prettiest series I have seen so far, as Mario said. The backgrounds are full, the colors pop and I was never visually bored. Narratively I am concerned, as the female lead Hitomi isn’t very compelling with how passive she is. The contrivance to start the plot, “It was decided” and “You’ll understand” bug me more than anything else though. I figure we can give it another few episodes to see how that and her relationship with her grandma works out however, as the crux of the series seems to be a metaphor for overcoming depression and finding magic and color in your world. Those kinds of things tend to be slow starters, with how dependent they are on the characters. I personally have been watching March Comes in Like a Lion recently, and while Irozuku doesn’t quite measure up narratively, it is a subject I am in the mood for. I see no reason not to stick it out for a few more episodes and see how the relationships play out.
Potential: 60%

Bakumatsu

Short Synopsis: A pair of good-looking swordsmen from the Edo period get transported to an alternate reality.

Wooper’s review:
How many times has it been now that a bunch of Japanese military figures from different eras have appeared in an anime together? A lot of the recent ones (recent anime series, not military guys) tend to be game adaptations featuring a lot of handsome dudes, for what I’m confident are purely artistic reasons. Some of them sport better production than others, but this one unfortunately resides on the less impressive side of the spectrum. There are some really jarring visual moments here, with occasional character stills being tossed around the screen as a substitute for movement, and hurriedly drawn faces with mismatched eyes cropping up during a few of the medium shots. The soundtrack is one of the strangest I’ve heard in a long time. It features traditional Japanese music during quieter moments, but some of the chase sequences employ the sort of score you’d expect from a Hollywood comedy about a talking dog (seriously). The characters are full of knowledge about the show in which they’re starring, but none of the dialogue is terrible, which is nice for an anime so thrown-together in other respects. As for points of interest, we’ve got time travel, history, and that’s basically it. The series seems more interested in pushing its premise than laying the groundwork for Deeper Themes, and I don’t expect that preference to waver going forward. On balance, Bakumatsu isn’t my cup of tea, and it certainly won’t be included on any AOTY lists, but it’s not the worst of its kind.
Potential: 15%

Mario’s review:
Bakumatsu is another excuse for throwing pretty boys with awesome inhuman ability together to fight… what exactly? I know for a certain that I’m not within this show’s target demography. For the plot it tries to do something different by using time-travel, which itself makes for a fresher world design, but it brings a fair share of narrative issues as well, namely how these two fit in with this new world and how consistent other characters gonna be. Provided that we know next to nothing about these characters, it doesn’t come as a huge loss, still the inconsistency is there. Can’t say I care much for this cast, and in this episode we still have little clues on how that time-device works (conquer the world? Yeah, it’s the usual crap). Putting all the historical figures together getting a bit predictable lately, so if Bakumatsu doesn’t make full use of it then I don’t see the point of including it in the first place. Overall, it’s an easy skip for me.
Potential: 10%

 

Hinomaru-Zumou

Short Synopsis: A high school boy wants to be the best sumo wrestler in Japan.

Lenlo’s Review:
You know, it’s always been a pet peeve of mine with anime where the high schoolers look NOTHING like high schoolers. What’s the point of making it a high school series if they don’t look or act like high schoolers? Oh I guess I should talk about the actual anime at some point to, huh? Really there isn’t much to say. Its a sports anime, decent production and alright plot. The weakest part to me is the sport chosen as the subject material. Maybe it’s just me, but I just am not in to the sport. Sumo might be a cultural past time in Japan, but to me it’s just two fat guys pushing each other. It doesn’t help that the characters are ones we have already seen before, and the “power” scale is a bit ridiculous. 15 minutes straight of getting punched and no reactions? As someone who boxes in their free time, it stretches belief for that bare knuckles could garner so little a reaction. If you like sports, it might be for you, but there are better sports anime in just this season alone.
Potential: 30%

Aidan’s review:
Much like Lenlo commented, it is funny how the set these things in high school but draw full grown men as the cast. It’s a bit like those high school romantic comedies where everyone is clearly past their twenties yet they try to pass them off as teenagers. Well this is basically a sports anime through and through so as such the sport itself becomes center of the universe and treated as the holy grail of living. All mundane techniques are superimposed to the level of super powers and everyone learns just how amazing and beneficial playing is. So we got the usual gambit, the highly talented rookie, a romance that’s bound to go nowhere, the goal of getting to nationals which clearly is not going to happen in a single cour and a rival character set up. Honestly the single cour thing is my biggest gripe with these kinds of series as more or less all of them are serviceable but end just when things get started. Even when a second season comes along it generally enters a nonstop marathon of tournament arcs which lead nowhere. So my point is this, this show is fine for those just wanting something to pass the time but much like any other sports show it will end half baked.
Potential: 30%

 

Yagate Kimi ni Naru

Short Synopsis: A first year high schooler joins the student council after being inspired by an older girl, who later confesses to her.

Mario’s review:
Bloom into You opens with an overly pretentious monologue that I was afraid it’s just all about those vague feelings that amount to nothing. Thankfully later on we get to know the reason behind it and I feel much more related to her issues. But immediately after that, it raises another issues: the confession is way too abrupt, in a manner too clumsily, that it takes me out to the romance again. This first episode is told from the point of view of Yuu (while literally as we have some scenes in the first person perspective), that’s why Nanami’s confession doesn’t work because we know next to nothing about her character. In term of romance I can say that it attempts more at the feeling, rather than physical exploitation in the same vein of Citrus and the likes, but to tell an intimate romance takes a lot of insight and this is just half-way there. Design-wise, the flat, big eyes of the characters might get some time to get used to, but as a whole I’d say that the production is pretty good. One of the trick to make a good romance is that they need to establish characters we can care about, and so far Bloom into You just barely makes it there.
Potential: 40%

Wooper’s review:
It seems to me that the desired mood for Yagate Kimi ni Naru (English title “Bloom into You,” which is a very pretty localization) was delicacy. The soundtrack certainly supports this, with woodwinds and strings as a pleasant backdrop for the romantic woes of our main character Yuu. There’s a lot of floral imagery, which shouldn’t need any explanation. And the constant references to being swept off one’s feet, or experiencing a floating sensation, paint love as the most beautiful of all feelings. Pretty delicate, right? Not quite, actually. Yuu’s hand-wringing over how to turn down a romantically interested guy is the plot point on which the premiere turns, but the agony this causes her doesn’t mesh with all the talk about true love. Perhaps we’re meant to view Yuu as naive (I certainly did), but the show doesn’t put in the work to support that interpretation. On the contrary, it uses a handful of superfluous POV shots to put us directly into her shoes, and encourages us to celebrate her little victories. The confession right before the credits, too, is the opposite of delicate – it works more as a hook for the rest of the series than a moment of unfiltered emotion. Why would a successful rejection be the trigger that causes the older Nanami to fall for her new underclassman? I know she sees herself in Yuu, but is that any reason to blurt out that she loves her? Rather than feeling any sort of spark between them, my heart may as well have been a pile of soggy firewood during that scene. The show’s got sun-drenched backgrounds and evocative music down to a science, so there’s definitely something here for romance fans, but I prefer my relationships to be a bit more grounded.
Potential: 40%

Sora to Umi no Aida

Short Synopsis: A dumbass girl tries fishing in giant space tanks.

Aidan’s review:
I have several questions. One, if humanity has the ability to create planet sized tanks and fish then why can’t they repopulate the seas of earth? Two, why did a law need to be passed to allow women to become space fishers? Three, why are the fish monsters that need to be fought with mecha? Four, Why in the hell is the mecha powered by a phone app? Five, why is the tech both highly advanced yet stupidly retro? This and many more questions were pushed aside as my thoughts were immediately preoccupied with how ungodly annoying the main character is. She’s stupid and loud, neither of which is done in a charming way. Her voice grates on the eardrums and I thought that with her getting pulled into some space fishing mission that she might pull out some hidden talent or aptitude. But nope, she’s completely useless, jeopardises the entire mission, gives the guys a reason to act stupidly sexist and walks out of there like she did nothing wrong. And those phone app gods? Are those supposed to be the things that people pay real money to obtain in the game? This plot is just a complete mess. From what I hear this phone app is long dead and looking at this anime, it’s sure staying that way.
Potential: 0%

Mario’s review:
I give this show points for such an absurd take of its universe. It’s about a school for girls to learn a job of fishing in outer space, with our main girl’s inspiration to make sushi out of them. It’s so playful that I, for once, want to explore more about that world. It also has a slice-of-life feel with your usual stock characters so fans of this genre will find heaps to enjoy. The problem with the show is everything else. The main character isn’t that interesting and I don’t really like how the show keeps telling us how clueless she is. The fishing mission remains my least favorite part as it becomes somewhat of a exhibition for its game source. I also like the feminist voice but the show does it by antagonizing the male cast a bit too much. The production is on par but nothing really stands out either. Sily, enjoyable but ultimately forgettable, it’s strictly for fans of slice-of-life fans or viewers who is already familiar with the game.
Potential: 10%

 

Seishun Buta Yarou wa Bunny Girl-senpai no Yume wo Minai

Short Synopsis: A boy encounters a girl in a bunny suit that no one can see.

Aidan’s review:
The main protagonist really is what makes this one as his banter just works so well with all the cast. Still the main plot of this story about a girl essentially fading from existence does have its draw and the first episode does a good job setting things up. There is light novel cliche to be had but it differnates itself enough to stand out. The general comparisons I am hearing is Snafu and Bakemonogatari (though not quite as chatty), and I can see those in this. It’s difficult to say if this will keep up this level of quality, after all most light novels begin to falter once the volume 1 story is completed but so far I would recommend this as out of everything I have seen so far this season this has interested me the most.
Potential: 75%

Wooper’s review:
I hate disaffected, 2smart4u main characters in anime, like the ones in OreGairu or Classroom of the Elite. They’re a transparent means of representing the author’s dissatisfaction with Japanese society, without the effort of writing a believable personality. Bunny Girl (that’s what I’m calling this show, since the light novel name is too damn long) has the same problem as those series, centering on a young man with resting Kanye face whose middle name is almost certainly “Nonchalant.” Here’s a guy who, while talking to a stunning female classmate and actress, casually mentions that he threw his phone into the ocean because it was frustrating him. (We later learn of a deeper reason for this, but his unflappability in delivering the line is silly.) He’s surrounded by a bunch of attractive women, actually, but anime law states that he must be considered an outcast, a rule which the show makes sure to obey. His ponderous monologues on social isolation and “reading the atmosphere” are nearly as hard to watch as his little sister’s realization that she can’t sleep in his bed because of his morning wood. The show looks lousy, as well, due in large part to the failure of the compositing team to make the characters gel with the backgrounds. There were at least half a dozen shots here that looked like promo art slapped on top of unremarkable scenery. So, all that being said, is there any reason to watch Bunny Girl? Yes, in fact: its supernatural premise holds some real promise as a means of discussing adolescence. I don’t want to over-explain how it works (the show does more than enough of that), but if you can get past some tropey writing and a male lead who is Reddit’s iamverysmart board personified, there might be something here for you.
Potential: 25%

 

Zombieland Saga

Short Synopsis: Um…A girl decides to become an idol and…things happen.

Aidan’s review:
In the anime preview I stated that Zombieland Saga wouldn’t have anything to offer because everything has been done with Zombies. Allow me to say that I was absolutely, completely wrong on that. I have greatly underestimated Japan. When this started I saw that it was clearly gearing up for a bait and switch that the title of the anime obviously spoiled but the bait and switch is not what I was prepared for. This episode was nothing like I was expecting and just got weirder and more ludicrous as it went along. But it was pretty funny and I am most definitely watching the next episode because I must see where this crazy train is going. I highly recommend walking into this one as blind as possible. For a first episode this is pretty good but I do wonder just what this show will bring to the table for the rest of the series. But hey, I’m in.
Potential: 85%

Mario’s review:
I guess I should’ve seen this coming, combining two most popular pop-culture genres together. It’s a mash-up that can go north or south easily, but thankfully for Zombieland Saga the fundamental is strong enough to make it a fun ride so far. First, within the two genres it’s spoofed of, Zomebieland Saga understands and uses the tricks of the genre efficiency. The first part works reasonably well as a goofy comedy-horror, the same goes for the latter unspoiled aspect it makes fun of. What makes this show a winner, however, is that it knows how to up the ante and it controls the overall tones quite thoroughly. Every twists and turns make it wittier and more absurdist. It’s elevated by the strong screen presence of our main girl, who tries her best to stick it together. That manager’s antic can get in the way sometimes but overall they deliver some snappy chemistry together. Its visual direction is on par too as the show successfully handles many different moving aimless zombies, our panicked girl and their eccentric manager together without losing its wit. How it goes from here is another question given the premise can wear thin quickly, but on the other hand the other girls gain personality which can make their banters a fun show to watch.
Potential: 70%

Double Decker! Doug & Kirill

Short Synopsis: A police officer finds himself working together with a special agency.

Lenlo’s Review:
Double Decker surprised me with this first episode. Starting off, the CGI and overly moody lighting had me worried it was going to be a grimdark, I’m-so-serious fare. The quick jump to light hearted action romp was a pleasant surprise though. Kirill, the lead, is a real character who after I got used to his special brand of stupid, was pretty entertaining. If nothing else, he’s not your usual bland MC. He has style, however ridiculous it may be. It also kept the exposition to a minimum, which I am thankful for. I feared a lot of drawn out narrator BS about Anthem and how the world worked, but Double Decker seems content to take it slow. A good sign. My one concern is the CGI and how heavily it will be used, because the constant jumping between it and 2D really bugged me. Still, not a bad start to a season I had pretty low hopes for.
Potential: 70%

Aidan’s review:
This certainly is reminding me a lot of Tiger and Bunny which is good considering it’s a spinoff. The buddy cop nature of the main duo and the way the show doesn’t take itself too seriously is quite reminiscent of it. But I feel that part of the appeal of Tiger and Bunny was the commercialised nature of the superheroes which doesn’t appear to play any real role here. In fact this show is pretty much like any anime OVA about cops taking on supernatural threats which can be nostalgic for some but rather derivative in itself. That said I found it a decently enjoyable watch though I don’t have much incentive to continue. The characters are fun and it makes for decent entertainment but it doesn’t really excel in any way, just being passable. I would say if you are looking for something with a saturday morning cartoon feel or a buddy cop dynamic then this could make for a decent time waster.
Potential: 60%

 

RErideD: Tokigoe no Derrida

Short Synopsis: A scientist finds out about a bug in his robots that contribute to the end of the world. Also, birthday party, conspiracy and time-travel throw in to the fun.

Lenlo’s Review:
You know, maybe it was a bad idea for me to touch on a time travel series so soon after Steins;Gate 0, because I am burnt out on them. It doesn’t help that RErideD starts its season by just throwing exposition and information at me from the get go. It doesn’t help that, as Mario said, the birthday that is no doubt supposed to make me care about these characters just fell flat. The most interesting part was the corporate conspiracy aspect for me. Yeah, the hallucinations were curious to say the least, but with nothing to really go off with them they are kinda just… there for me. As far as characters go, I barely remember a single one of them after watching, barring the lead Derrida. They all just feel… bland. Overall it looks like a series that will make it or break it by the 3rd episode once the story gets going in full. If you have an interest in time travel, stick it out. If you’re burned out like me, then it’s probably not worth it.
Potential: 35%

Mario’s review:
RErideD has some neat ideas, but this first episode feels the need to feed us its worldbuilding a bit too much. This first episode clearly serves as a prelude, where we get to know where our main character comes from, its universe and its premise… so far, it’s a hot mess. We learn a bit too much, although it raises more question than clarity. We know about its descend to hell near-future when the robots basically overloaded and take over the world. We know about the project being Derrida and his father’s brainchild, then we learn about another project of leaping time and then characters that would be important later on (in a birthday party that feels superficial at best), and I haven’t gotten to the main catalyst of the episode. It doesn’t help that Derrida’s motivation and personality are an open book, which makes him feel more like a first-person device than a real character. Being said that I’m sure interested to see what the hell this world is now, and the current characters and how they fit in to all this. Also, when it hits it can produce some inspiring moment (I’m referring to the hallucination image, which might or might not be real). The story really starts in the second episode, so until then we will have a better idea how well this story is going to pan out.
Potential: 50%

 

Akanesasu Shoujo

Short Synopsis: A ritual-obsessed girl travels to another world and meets her warrior doppelganger.

Lenlo’s Review:
Everything about Akanesasu leads me to believe that, had it gone the horror route, it could have done quite well. It opened with some interesting, possibly sinister, tones. The lighting did wonders setting a mood. And then it went full mecha-magical-girl on me and I lost what little interest I had. I will say, the CGI is pretty good and it’s nowhere near the worst premise for this kind of show I have seen. Really Akanesasu’s biggest fault is that it’s just not my cup of tea. For those that enjoy some “sit back and relax, no moralizing fun” I think Akanesasu will fit in fine for them. So long as the monster of the week stays interesting it shouldn’t have a problem.
Potential: 40%

Wooper’s review:
There’s a point in this premiere where a supporting character complains, “If they’re just going to play boring old music, they might as well play nothing at all.” In addition to being a terrible perspective on art, this seems to be the general philosophy of Akanesasu Shoujo – if it’s not modern, the show wants nothing to do with it. That means we need a group of five girls with different hair colors and personality traits, another world for them to visit, and a soundtrack that never strays too far from Yuuki Hayashi’s work on My Hero Academia (apart from one piano/synth track early on which I swear was inspired by the Gen IV Pokemon games). The girls are mostly forgettable, so I started mentally referring to them as though they were dwarves: Quirky, Quiet, Brainy, Proper, and Trendy. The dwarves travel to the land of CG snakes and meet the main character’s doppelganger, who somehow accompanies them back to Earth. What happens afterwards was the only part of the show to interest me, as Quirky I offers Quirky II a place to crash for a short time, and their distinct personalities begin to inform you about the differences in their worlds. In the era of 12 episode series orders, though, the show won’t have the luxury of peeling back any layers, and Q II returns to the land of perpetual twilight by the end of the premiere anyway, so if you plan on picking this up, expect an info dump sooner rather than later.
Potential: 30%

Shoujo ☆ Kageki Revue Starlight

Short Synopsis: Students at a girls’ music academy compete for a top spot in a surreal stage play.

Wooper’s review

Kinema Citrus saves anime yet again. Last year they produced our AOTY Made in Abyss, and now they’ve tapped Ikuhara devotee Tomohiro Furukawa to helm what may go down as the best idol series of the decade. It’s not actually about idols – the show is set at an all-girls music academy that emphasizes contemporary theater – but it *does* have a big cast of cute girls who dance to music. That’s where the similarities to the genre end, however, as this show is highly symbolic, beautifully scored, and lavishly produced. Just listen to the orchestra that plays as the students enter the dance studio around the three minute mark. There’s a gentle air of mystery to it, as though the show is inviting you to consider what’s truly transpiring at this school, even as the characters act cute and say their usual Good Mornings. Before that, there’s a beautifully staged intro that gives way to an image of eight girls lying on a flight of stairs, with a blood red curtain that connects them and foreshadows conflict (and perhaps even death). Things get overtly Ikuhara-esque around the halfway mark, with dream sequences, yuri undertones, and talking animals all making their mandatory appearances. This weirdness culminates in some of the best fight/dance sequences I’ve seen since the “Both of You, Dance Like You Want to Win” episode of Evangelion. To provide too many details would spoil the experience, since the last scene is such a departure from what comes before, but I’ll just say this: if you think you’ve got a handle on anime transformation sequences, Revue Starlight will turn your perception on its head. The only real shortcoming of this series is the same-faced character designs, but even that works to create a familiar sensation that is shattered by the episode’s end. This is the kind of anime that everybody should check out, at least for the premiere – if you’re on its wavelength, you’re in for a hell of a time.

Potential: 95%

Mario’s review:

Well, what a second half this one was. Initially, when I watched the first half, I took it as a above-average idol show and thinking to myself “the rest would have blown me up in order to not drop this” and that was exactly how I felt, totally blew away. This show (especially the magnificent Starlight fight) has a clear Utena-vibe, which come as no surprise since the director Tomohiro Furukawa was an apprentice of Ikuhara himself. What’s more impressive is that the whole fight at the end justifies all the things come before that. Not only it’s weird in a delightful way (talking giraffe!!), it’s inspirational and just downright expressive like those Utena’s duels. You can also pretty much take these fights as a dream, or the performance, or the audition and it all makes sense. In fact, now thinking back it’s more that these girls won’t work together like idol shows, but will have to fight against each other for the main spot. I’m thrilled on that. The characters, however, are on the underdeveloped side, but I’m sure when these “stage performances” start we will start to learn more about them. Personally, I’m excited to see how this story is gonna pan out.

Potential: 70%

Aidan’s review:

Well this one completely blind sighted me. I originally wrote this one off completely, but then watched the trailer and thought there might be more to it but still wrote it off again. As it was the case there was in fact more more to this one but allow me to be the contrarian to contrast the two excited ducks above. Take note that the thing that makes this show stand out is the very clear inspirations from Ikuhara, in particular Utena. The director it seems has worked with Ikuhara’s previous works and learned some tricks. But let me make clear, I am not a fan of Ikuhara. I find Utena fascinating but to me Ikuhara’s works is style promoting the illusion of substance. If this new guy can take Ikuhara’s style and give it genuine substance then he will have sold me on this particular show. But the other hurdle is that this episode was ⅓ Utena and ⅔ love live. Outside of the surprise wammy this series was a above average idol anime and it’s going to need more in order to prove itself. This series has managed to grab my attention by playing it’s strongest hand but now that the surprise is out it’s going to have to measure up to those which inspired it. What I am basically saying is, less idol training, more character development and girls getting pushed off of tokyo tower. (I really liked that scene.)

Potential: 50%

 

Tenrou: Sirius the Jaeger

Short Synopsis: A group of vampire hunters enter Tokyo to hunt their enemies.

Aidan’s review:

On a production level, aside from some awkward CGI, this series is top of the line. Fantastic animated action with great backgrounds and a nice setting. However story wise this feels far too familiar with the squad hunting supernatural creatures. There are plenty with that premise, even Blood + did that with vampires. I even got some Blade vibes from how the series opened. I give credit to the cast for having an Irishman but I can’t say anyone in the cast stands out. I will say it’s not as if the story has bad writing or it’s done poorly as in both cases this is done quite well. The problem more lies in the fact that it all feels done before. But if that aspect does not bother you then I am sure you will enjoy this one for the fight scenes and general production values. The story won’t wow you but get past that and this is an enjoyable watch.

Potential: 60%

Lenlo’s Review:

Aidan is right about one thing, Jaeger is certainly one of the best looking/produced anime of this season. Everything, CGI aside, just looks good. I disagree on the story aspect though. Unlike similar anime this season like Phantom however, where our cast just… stumbles together, it feels like things are actually happening in Jaeger. It probably has to do with our cast being the aggressors, the ones acting, where as in Phantom they are just reacting. It made me much more interested in what was going on. Sure, the monster hunting story has been done before. But that doesn’t matter to me, so long as its done well. Just look at the plethora of fantasy novels about young chosen ones rising up to defeat the great evil. Originality is less important than general quality. And Jaeger has, so far, a lot of quality.

Potential: 75%

 

High Score Girl

Short Synopsis: A boy has a rivalry with a girl who plays games at the arcade.

Aidan’s review:

Though fully CGI, I found it rather bareable though that might be because the episode was mainly focused on video game screens. This does feel like a series that was better suited to a short format as this episode contains three separate stories between these two. The positives is that this story has a lot of factoids about various video game techniques which is quite interesting and the nostalgia is heavy with this one if you are a nineties kid. But the bad side of this is that the comedy is very much the “Shout till it’s funny” variety or focuses on our protagonist getting beaten up by the girl. I don’t find this show all that funny but I do like the featured games and learning about glitches and tricks used in them. Overall I find this show just alright and it is rather a shame that because Netflix has acquired the licence that to follow it I would have to rely on fansubs of questionable quality.

Potential: 30%

Mario’s review:

This 90s arcade rom-com manga was a hit back when it first run, throughout many disputes regarding legal issues of using all these games’ characters, now it becomes a full CG show licensed by Netflix. Which mean, not many people gonna watch this based on these conditions alone. My very first impression after watching this is that the CG looks “cheap”. Characters on games look on point, but our characters move way too stiff, and the art in general in uninspired. The series’ first episode runs several small encounters where those two main meets at the arcade and play game, but based on what I heard there will be an arc and the story deepens later on. So basically this episode introduces these two kids and gives us a “feel” of the year 1991, both of which I regard it as barely succeed. There’s some odd pacing at the beginning, which take me awhile to realize what’s going on. Haruo is the protagonist that is easy to follow, mostly because he has a keen sense of his world. Oono, too, with the way she behaves hint at her pressure at home and the two has a strange bond of sharing the same hobby. Story-wise I can get behind but I’m more worried about the production, which can become more unbearable as it continues.

Potential: 30%

Angolmois: Genkou Kassenki

Short Synopsis: The ruler of an island hires some death row prisoners to protect her island from Mongolian invasion.

Aidan’s review:

A pretty strong first episode but you can tell this isn’t going to be historically accurate. This is certainly very shounenfied history with strongmen who can break manicales and a cast with their own heighted superhuman aspects. I mean a ninja assassin managed to jump ludicrously high into the air and land on his boat so if anything we might as well consider this history told by a storytelling exaggerating the details. The story certainly wants to look like it was painted on scrolls as the full episode has a filter place over it, one which I feel distracts more than it enhances. It’s fine for still shots but when the camera starts panning that filter just sticks out far too much. Other than that this makes for a rather enjoyable watch, not particular deep or outstanding but interesting enough so far with fairly decent characters. I was surprised by how many voice actors I was able to recognise as well, hello there Tora. If you are a fan of shounen anime this could very well be for you and even if not it proves to be a good watch so far.

Potential: 70%

Mario’s review:

Looks like we got a solid historical thriller dose of the season. I was mildly intrigued by the settings – where Mongol invades Nippon (just a historical trivia here but Mongolian Empire was extremely powerful in the early era), but I didn’t expect it to be this strong. The production, in particular, has extra grainy filter which add to the seediness of the era, and I particularly like the raining filter that looks just like a moving painting. The fights have some dynamic choreography there. We also have a strong male lead that worth investing to, a hero type who has his dark past. I’d have preferred the princess of this island stays cruel like she first appeared, given when she displays her weak side, it treads the well trodden path. The story is what I’m a bit worried about. We still don’t know for sure how much of disbelief we need to suspend regarding the cast’s combat skills. I mean, we have a guy who literally parkour roll 20 meters away from where he fights to his ship, which for me is just comically ridiculous. The story establishes its main concept, however how they execute it so that they can keep our interest is hard. This show reminds me a bit of Shoukoku no Altair: rich history context but too crammed with plot progressions and many layers of side characters. The leaner it gets the better. We shall see on this then.

Potential: 60%

 

Shinya! Tensai Bakabon

Short Synopsis: The cast of a 70s anime struggles to find a new look for the modern era.

Wooper’s review:

This is a postmodern reboot of a 50 year old manga by Fujio Akatsuka, author of Osomatsu-kun from the same time period. That series was the basis for the Osomatsu-san anime from three years ago, which saw Studio Pierrot use well-loved characters to provide irreverent commentary on current trends in anime and Japanese culture in general. If you liked what Pierrot did with that show, you’ll probably like this one, especially since it features a gag where Bakabon undergoes surgery to become a set of sextuplets. The surgeon is none other than Black Jack, who appears briefly to turn Bakabon’s dad into a woman (while preserving his new voice, courtesy of Jun Fukuyama), and if you’re with me so far, you’ve probably arrived at the conclusion that this anime is totally bonkers. The premiere spent most of its time taking the “things sure have changed” sentiment to ridiculous extremes, dealing with its need for a new coat of paint by trying every shade at five different stores. While that’s a theme that non-Japanese viewers can grasp, there were at least a dozen references to personalities and cultural practices that sailed over my head. This was less of a problem in Osomatsu-san, which focused intently on the antics of its characters without worrying about what year it was. Hopefully the new and improved(?) Bakabon leaves its identity crisis behind after another episode or two – if it does, the show might be worth your time each week this summer.

Potential: 60% if you liked Osomatsu-san, 20% otherwise

Mario’s review:

So, this one goes for Osomatsu-san route. When adapting a beloved classic manga, it always raises an issue of how relevant it is for the new audience today. And that’s exactly the topic this first episode addresses. This new version of Bakabon is a whacky take on the length these characters would go to adapt themselves and appeal to the new market. If you’re big on meta-jokes you’ll find a lot to love here. Fans of the recent Osomatsu would find themselves at home as well, although in that regard I don’t find the humor as fresh as it was with Osomatsu-san. The real story will begin next week, and you can expect it has all the bawdy humor (and the same artstyle) that made Osomatsu-san a hit in recent years. Not a bad way to approach this classic material, but it feels like an inferior Osomatsu-san at best.

Potential: 30%

 

Lord of Vermilion: Guren no Ou

Short Synopsis: When Tokyo is surrounded by a red mist, cut off from the outside world, it is up to the young few with blood awakened by the mist to gather together and discover what has happened to Tokyo, or die trying.

Mario’s review:

I give it points for not outrightly terrible, but it’s ultimately a forgettable title. There’s two main issues with Vermilion, that it takes its premise a tad too seriously, and that both the characters and the story aren’t that interesting to hold any interest. The show starts right at the end (or maybe not?), when it’s clear that our hero team members fight each others to death, accompanied by generic lines (“that’s the only way I could come up to kill you, sister”. Oh hell I care) and some ridiculous deaths. Then the show goes back to the present and introduces characters that way too bland with not even one memorable characteristic (Main guy especially receives the “prefect” status). The plot itself has many holes (like why many of them dissolved into thin air, while others don’t; why this red wall of Berlin cut off the supply but leaves the food alone? What happened to the people that dissolve into dust?), and based from the flashforward it looks like the cast will try the special power from the red mist and pays their own price for that. I’m not particularly interested to see it play out at all.

Potential: 10%

Lenlo’s Review:

So, I know I referenced Kekkai Sensen in a previous first impression, but Vermillion really is a wanna-be version of it. City cut off by otherworldly mist/barrier? Check. Otherworldly monsters.inhabitants? Check. Blood based superpowers? Another check. However unlike Kekkai Sensen, which revels in its absurdity and just has fun with itself, Vermillion takes itself far to seriously. Like it’s trying to be some kind of fantastical drama. I just couldn’t get into it. If your ok with some good natured fun getting sprinkled across your fantastical drama, something that doesn’t take itself to seriously while still having a story to tell, go watch Kekkai Sensen instead of this. It’s just better.

Potential: 0%

Grand Blue

Short Synopsis: A guy who just entered college is pushed to join a diving club.

Aidan’s review:

You know an anime is going to be good when the first thing you see is a giant warning saying “For the love of god don’t imitate anything in this show!” Anyway I will say that the beginning of Grand Blue is the weakest part and things really get rolling once the cast is introduced and hijinks ensue. There were some odd changed to this adaption and jokes removed but otherwise I would deem it passable. Comedy is subjective though and I found this not quite as funny as the manga which I cannot determine if it was because I already knew the jokes or if the comedic timing was off. The production certainly isn’t quite up to the standard I would like. Grand Blue is getting put to animation and unlike Backstreet Girls, it’s at least being animated. But this is very much a cheap production with a fair amount of still frames. For the most part the manga’s comedy is getting transferred without considering how it should be presented in a new medium. What’s here is still fun and for first time watchers I think it will still work. But again you mileage may vary.

Potential: 65%

Lenlo’s Review:

You know, Grand Blue had me concerned when one of the opening gags was the classic undressing girl shot. But the moment after, of hyper manly men, and our lead just noping on out of there? That got me. I’m still expecting the fan-service, its a show on a beach, but atleast its equal opportunity fan-service with a healthy dash of ridiculous comedy thrown in. Unlike Aidan, I have not read the manga, so going in completely blind I had no expectations for Grand Blue’s comedy. The extended comedy segments didn’t work to well sadly, but the facial expressions and sudden comedic jumps from 0 to 10 worked the best for me. I also quite enjoyed pretty much our entire main cast, especially the two diving club dude-bro’s. Their care-free shenanigans were easily my favorite part of the episode and I see most of the comedy coming from them. So long as Grand Blue continues to not take itself to seriously and revel in its absurdist comedy, I see no problem recommending it.

Potential: 75%

 

Happy Sugar Life

Short Synopsis: A girl finds love for the first time and goes to any means to protect it.

Aidan’s review:

What cute fluffy fun. This is a story about nice loving yuri relationship which is filled to the brim with happiness. Something to help warm people’s hearts after a hard days work. The age gap is a little worrisome but hey nothing gets in the way of true love….that’s right…nothing…nOtHing..nothingnothingnothingnothingnothingnothingnothingnothingnothingnothingnothing…WOAH! Um sorry lost my trail of thought there. Anyway the direction is spot on despite concerns over the staff and this first episode certainly builds intrigue for what is to come next. I am rather concerned about the start of the episode which appears to be a flashforward hinting at an anime original ending. But otherwise this is damn strong first episode which highlights Happy Sugar Lifes appeal. Watch if you are also a person looking for a happy sugar life.

Potential: I give it a 80% so please don’t stab me Satou-san.

Wooper’s review:

You know what I love? Anime tropes. I love it when I can recognize a character’s personality as belonging to a narrow, otaku-baiting category, because that makes it easier to remember them. The bigger and more obvious the trope, the better. Take “tsundere,” for instance. If I really like girls whose attraction to some potato-faced moron runs hot and cold, I can just seek out anime with “tsundere” characters, and I’ll be good to go. In Happy Sugar Life, there’s another one of those personality types that I really love, since it’s totally hilarious and easy to remember. It’s the one where they seem to be normal on the outside, but in reality they’re so obsessed with somebody else that they’ll even kill people to be with their beloved! Isn’t that crazy? Okay, so I’m trying to remember the term for this kind of character. It’s on the tip of my tongue, I swear! Oh man, the pink haired girl in this episode was such a good example of one, too! She was totally cute and fun with her friend from work, but toootally insane when protecting the primary school-aged child on whom she’s hilariously fixated. I know she’s insane because her eyes turned red and the still frame on screen jiggled around a little bit at a couple points. Almost like the camera was shaking! It was sooo good – wait, I remember it now! This is gonna blow your mind, guys and gals. As soon as I name the hysterical trope featured in this “““horror””” anime, you won’t be able to stop yourselves from subscribing to Amazon Prime so you can watch it every week, no, every day! Are you sure you’re prepared for this bombshell? Okay, here goes… The main character in this anime is… a YANDERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Potential: There is a yandere in this anime

 

Yuragi-sou no Yuuna-san

Short Synopsis: A boy who can see ghosts moves into a boarding house with a hot spring and a bunch of supernatural cute girls.

Aidan’s review:

This episode is the most amount of plot this story is going to have. Well of course later there will be plenty of “PLOT” but yeah it’s amusing to see how this show started out with some semblance of telling a story. So the main draw here is that is your traditional harem with all the bells and whistles. I would say watch this if you are looking for boobies but well this is the censored edition and an uncensored edition ain’t coming till the blu-rays are out. Taking that into account I wonder what is even the point of watching this censored edition at all unless you actually happen to be invested in the story which will no doubt disappear really fast. I feel like those looking for this kind of show will most likely wait for the uncensored version while for the rest of us it doesn’t have much to offer.

Potential: 0%

Mario’s review:

This show feels like an anime that be made 20 years ago, which its old-fashioned concept and its harem plus ecchi edge. Nothing wrong with that though, given for what it’s worth it’s a decent watch from start to finish. Even at the end, there’s hint for some emotional conflicts of putting that ghost girl to the afterlife once she learns about her roots of unhappiness. It reminds me of the old charm of watching these similar shows when I was a kid (to Love-Ru, Love Hina), where guy “accidentally” grabs big boobs and all girls are fawned over him. In fact, it follows that harem’s formula to the T that I embrace all the cliche that genre has (girls who live under the same house with different personality and boobs size), the main leads sleep together, so on and so forth. Hence, watch this show only if you miss that old flavor because it offers relatively little beyond that.

Potential: 20%