Category: Other:

Genjitsu no Yohane: SUNSHINE in the MIRROR

Short Synopsis (Anichart): The story reimagines Yoshiko Tsushima, the school idol afflicted with chuunibyou (adolescent delusions of grandeur), as a magical girl. The story is set in Numazu, a scenic harbor town surrounded by the sea and mountains. Ever since she was little, the girl Yohane has never fit in, and has always felt apart from everyone in town. Her aspirations and true place in this world lie elsewhere. The story follows this girl who can’t follow rules as she journeys into the mysterious world.

Lenlo: I was pleasantly surprised by this one, at first at least. Typically it’s the guys portrayed as chuuni, and in a pitiful fashion meant to mock them. And while it’s not exactly a praise-worthy character trait, it’s kind of cute to see it done for a female idol. It gives her a kind of arrogance that isn’t off putting because it comes from a place of ignorance/childishness rather than just being an asshole. Does this mean the show is for me? Not really, I’m not huge on this stuff. Especially with this weird fantasy/modern japan mix with huge talking dogs and shit. But that’s more regarding my own tastes rather than the show itself being bad. Yohane genuinely feels like something new/interesting in the genre. Or at least… it did until it shifted into being a magical girl show set in a small rural town. Suffice to say I wasn’t big on this shift, I think it would have been better if it stuck with the chuuni trying to make it big in Tokyo. Maybe it can strike a balance as it goes, but personally I won’t be around to really find out.
Potential: 25%

Suki na Ko ga Megane wo Wasureta

Short Synopsis (Anichart): With the new school year comes a new homeroom, new classmates, and a new desk for the timid Komura. But any trepidation he might’ve felt quickly dissipates when he catches sight of Mie, his new seat neighbor. Apt to quietly blurt out the most random things, the quirky Mie wears thick glasses that accentuate her lovely eyes, making Komura’s heart skip a beat!

Lenlo: Jesus H Christ GoHands what did I just watch. This is that “Graphic design is my passion” meme but with cinematography. Like fuck the actual show, I can’t get over just the visuals they are trying to create. Parts of it look fine but then they go on these weird extended tracking shots and absolutely annihilate everything with after effects. It’s like no one taught them the meaning of the word restraint while at the same time not having enough skill for anyone to care. I just… I need to process this. Don’t watch it, it’s terrible, just look at twitter for the incredibly stupid highlights.
Potential: GoHands? GoAway.

Amun: I’m not quite as down on this as Lenlo is, but I do admit the camera (fish-eye I guess?) angles were very distracting. And for no good reason too, since the remainder of the animation was really quite decent. I’m pretty against CGI generally, but there are exceptions I’ll stand for (Beastars comes to mind in recent seasons) – honestly, “Suki na Ko” is probably watchable without those weird shots. Mie’s hair isn’t going to challenge Pixar’s “Brave” any time soon, but I could live with it – the other characters were pretty fluid and didn’t strike visual discord. While the plot isn’t anything novel, I’ve established through my reviews from last season I’m a sucker for these kinds of stories. What I’m basically saying is I managed to get through the whole episode and thought “I’ll watch another one.”
Potential: 40%

Yumemiru Danshi wa Genjitsushugisha

Short Synopsis (Anichart): Sajou Wataru, who is deeply in love with his beautiful classmate Natsukawa Aika, is continuing to approach her without getting discouraged while having dreams about their mutual love. However one day he woke up thinking “I am not really fit to be together with someone as good as her, huh…” Upon realizing this, Wataru started keeping an appropriate distance towards her, much to Aika’s surprise. “Could it be that he hates me now…?” Did his intentions slip by her because she was getting impatient after arriving at the wrong conclusion!? This is the start of a romcom revolving around two people who just cant get their feelings across and both think their love is unrequited!

Amun: I will ALWAYS give props to a show that gives me something original, even if there are other issues. And “Yumemiru Danshi” does just that – I cannot recall off the top of my head another show where a semi-stalker goes “you know what, that was excessive, let’s chill out.” What makes this great is that the rest of his class have accepted this behavior as normal and are pretty disturbed when he stops – legit worried about him. I think there’s a good story here – the main girl’s realization that maybe she should have been a bit more receptive but now is playing off the back foot…that’s a great evolution for the genre. There are some flaws, no doubt, but I’m definitely intrigued by something that’s not just checking through the standard boxes to get to season’s end – “Yumemiru Danshi” really could be something special. I’m hoping it is.
Potential: 75%

Lenlo: Gonna be honest, that Za Warudo moment at the start really freaking confused me. That aside, Yumemiru feels like a rather safe romance for the season. I’m not wowed by it but I’m also not seeing any real red-flags either. It’s not filled with bad ecchi jokes, the characters aren’t fawning over each other from moment one, the MC isn’t a faceless unlikable loser living out wish-fulfillment. If anything this idea of the MC falling out of love with someone, or at least realizing they aren’t good enough for them and appearing to, and that in turn worrying his friends and confusing his love interest, is kind of amusing. I’m not big on highschool romances personally, I just can’t relate to it anymore as I’ve long since reached the phase where it’s easier to just ask and take a yes or no then agonize over it, but I can see lovers of the genre genuinely enjoying this. At the very least I think it might be worth giving it a try.
Potential: 50%

Jitsu wa Ore, Saikyou Deshita?

Short Synopsis (Anichart): After being a shut-in, Haruto is reincarnated as a baby. And amazingly, that baby is a prince! However, he’s abandoned in a forest on the day he’s born because of his low magic level… What will be the fate of Haruto, who was inadvertently given 1000 times the normal amount of magic by the goddess of reincarnation without anyone noticing?!

Amun: Let’s get the good point (singular) out of the way: I liked the twist with the second life parents rejecting the child. That’s a nice adaptation. Now the bad: everything else. The character list shows absolutely no imagination. To be honest, the moment the contracted demon turned into a human to give breast milk to the reincarnated baby was where you lost me. That’s such a weird adaptation that modern isekai keeps doing: starting from the baby stage. Please stop. To sum it up: there’s probably going to be a good isekai this season – but you’ll have to keep looking, since there’s nothing worthwhile here.
Potential: 0%

Lenlo: Man this show really didn’t waste any time did it? 30 seconds in and already the deadbeat MC is being reincarnated by a big-titty blond woman with copious assets. Now to be fair, the gag of him getting immediately abandoned was amusing for about 30 seconds. Beyond that though this really is just trashy isekai with a budget Holo. It’s basic wish fulfillment on every level with absolutely nothing unique or interesting to say about the genre. Like Jesus Christ, give me Shield Hero or Gate or even SAO over this. Hell I’d even take Mushoku Tensei, if only because that one will at least look good. But this? It’s so bland I almost forgot what I had just watched the moment it ended.
Potential: There are better isekai this season, watch them.

Lv1 Maou to One Room Yuusha

Short Synopsis (Anichart): After his embarrassing defeat at the hands of a brave hero, the Demon Lord is back and ready for revenge… but after ten years apart, the hero, Max, isn’t the dashing do-gooder the Demon Lord remembers. In fact, Max has turned into a shut-in slob with no interest in an epic rematch. Can the Demon Lord whip his former nemesis back into shape, or will he be defeated by the hero-turned-couch-potato once again and join him in his lazy life?

Amun: I’m mixed on “Lv 1 Maou”. We’re starting to see this type of post-adventure hero premise crop up more and more (one of the OG’s sequels, “Hataraku Maou-sama” is also airing this season). This is a great starting point, but the devil is in the details (in this case literally). What’s good: the complexity of the characters and storylines. Obviously, much has happened in the ten years, and it’s truthfully pretty believable. I think the main characters also have a pretty good basis and can be built on nicely. What’s bad? The lowbrow aspects. Plus the demon king being in weird outfits – just kind of a strange twist. I get that they want it to be comedic with the other overtones being pretty heavy, but I’m not sure that hits the right notes here. Bonus: although she was only onscreen very briefly, I am very down with the original party’s mage. I’m guessing she’s the current ghost though. “Lv1” has generally good aesthetics and visuals, so I’ll probably see it out for a few more at least.
Potential: 50%

Lenlo: I gotta say, I really really wanted to enjoy Lv1 Maou. The idea of a villain whipping a retired hero into shape to defeat them is right up my alley, I’m a complete sucker for mutual respect between enemies after all. But then Lv1 Maou had to go and ruin it by filling itself with poorly made lewd jokes like constantly focusing on the helpers ass, the hero looking at porn/holding onto an onahole and dressing up a minor in inappropriate outfits. Had it just played it straight and focused on a man who had fallen from grace and a former enemy who wanted his worthy challenger back it could have worked. And what really sucks is that there are traces of that greatness there. I genuinely enjoyed a lot of the Demon Lord and Max’s interactions, there was some great stuff in there as he gives up hope and the Demon Lord tries to build him up, or as the reminisce about their past. If it can just drop the poorly written attempts at lewd humor and focus on building a piece of shit back into a respectable human being then I wager this can be a decent time. At the very least I want to give it a few more before it really disappoints me.
Potential: Tentative 35%, I dearly hope it can work

Mononogatari 2nd Season

Short Synopsis (Anichart): The second season of Mononogatari.

Amun: I bashed “Monogatari” (no relation to NISIOISIN) earlier in these previews as being subpar visually. And the first episode has made me reconsider that a little – there really weren’t any major moments that jarred me like the first season had in abundance. Is this just a case of getting the first episode right when the production schedule is still on pace? No idea, but it’s an improvement nonetheless. Season 1 was a build up to the main conflict of the inner deity living inside the main girl – this season looks to get into that in greater depth. I felt the first season was decent, so I have high(er) hopes for this sequel. If the visuals keep up, this is a solid show. Without it – mediocre.
Potential: 65%

Ryza no Atelier: Tokoyami no Joou to Himitsu no Kakurega

Short Synopsis (Anichart): The story of Ryza, a fledgling alchemist, who escaped her boring daily life with her friends to pursue her dreams.

Lenlo: Ryza no Atelier has one goal, and that’s to engrain the following message into as many peoples heads as possible: Thicc Thighs Save Lives. That’s not even a joke, I’m pretty sure this show exists entirely off of the sex appeal of Ryza’s thighs. Why else would they get shoved into every shot possible. Character picking tomatoes? Frame it so her thighs are eye level with his head. Girl standing up? Pan the camera down to her ass centered on her thigh gap. 2 characters standing side by side in a fullbody shot? Apply specular highlights and blush to her thigh meat so it stands out. It is legitimately 50 minutes of leg meat. That’s right, this is a double feature of a premier. On a more serious note, it’s a pretty classic jrpg plot. Local village kids want to get out of their small-town lives and decide to go on an adventure. They fight some goofy slimes, form a party of adventurers, and generally just wander around in classically overdone jrpg outfits. There’s nothing particularly impressive about its production (Aside from the thighs), it doesn’t move all that well or that much. If you’ve played the games then you know exactly what you’re in for, and if you haven’t then there probably isn’t much to hold your attention past this double feature. I know there isn’t much holding me.
Potential: Thicc Thighs out of 10

Amun: Yoooo, Lelno is NOT joking about the THICCCCNESS of this show. I mean, I started to get concerned for her circulation – between those shorts and the thigh highs, that can’t be promoting healthy blood flow. Something like half your blood is in your legs, right? Anyways – “Ryza no Atelier” is a rather uninspired plot. Nice setting, but I was very bored throughout the hour long introduction. There is an immense amount of dumbness present as well. Staggering amounts. Almost more than the thighs.
Potential: 0 thighs for me

Uchi no Kaisha no Chiisai Senpai no Hanashi

Short Synopsis (Anichart): Shinozaki is an office worker who is taken care of and coddled by his senior team member Shiori Katase, who is a gorgeous, profoundly kind, loving, and diminutive woman. Shinozaki certainly hopes that she’s not doing it out of duty… but her joy of doing so increasingly exposes her feelings!

Lenlo: Look let’s not beat around the bush, this is fetish wish fulfillment for people into short stacked girls, only this time instead of being a loli the character is actually legal. Baby steps. Or adult steps, in this case. That said if all you’re looking for is ecchi bait then you might want to go elsewhere, because this seems to be trying to portray itself as more of a wholesome romance with some lewd jokes then an actual ecchi show. Personally I think it plays things a bit to forward to be taken seriously as a romance. The series is basically a middle/highschool rom com that happens to take place in an office, not an actual adult work-place romance. But if you want something chill and straight forward between 2 consenting adults then I think you could do a lot worse than this.
Potential: 30%

Amun: This show somehow insists on using the absolute worst parts of any ecchi/ero – the setup. It’s like the entire show is going to be the lead up and none of the payoff. The problem here – and where previous shows have done a better job – is that it’s about your two main characters’ journey to romance. “Uchi no Kaisha” is so obviously one step from the finish line (in perhaps more than 1 way…) that there’s no potential for growth here. And that doesn’t make for an interesting story. At least the visuals are on point – it’s clear that there’s plenty of love for the characters from the staff. I don’t hate that, and I usually like these kinds of shows, but I need something more substantial to make it through this season here.
Potential: 30%

AYAKA

Short Synopsis (Anichart): The story follows Yukito Yanagi, an orphan who one day encounters an eccentric disciple of his father’s. The strange man takes him to his birthplace on Ayakajima, made up of seven islands where mysterious beings called “Mitama” and dragons are rumored to reside. There, Yukito meets his father’s two other disciples, who protect the harmony of Ayakajima… which soon threatens to collapse.

Lenlo: My initial impressions of Ayaka are mixed. The surface at least appears to be a rather standard emotionless/blank-slate self-insert MC with a cast largely defined by whatever their primary color is. The setting is fine, and I’m always a bit of a sucker for oni/cultural monsters and shit. Plus it being an original gives me a slight hope that it could do something good with the MC slowly opening up. As far as thinly-veiled shows about self-acceptance goes, I’ve seen worse. I’m just not terribly enthralled by it either yet.
Potential: 20%

Amun: Okay, this is basically a worse looking (if that’s even possible), worse written version of Monogatari, which has a second season airing this summer. There are too many characters, the mechanics of the world are wonky, and the visuals are flatly subpar. Monogatari is going to be my show that fills the supernatural slot this season, so my recommendation is to skip this. I do like the train on the water between islands, though.
Potential: 5%