Category: Other:

Don’t Hurt Me, My Healer!

Short Synopsis: Fast talking bear, dark (skinned) elf, and idiot hero conspire to waste 20 minutes of your time!

Wooper: “My Healer” isn’t worth watching in a vacuum, but viewed as a satire of bargain bin fantasy anime, it’s vaguely amusing. You know that type of series where the main character’s face is permanently obscured so viewers can more easily imagine themselves in his place? Well, this show takes that practice to such absurd lengths that it ends up functioning as a commentary on its stupidity. There are a plethora of blatant animation shortcuts which give off the same vibe, including this shot of the main character’s helmet suddenly tripling in size to indicate his frustration. Unfortunately, these winks at the audience are My Healer’s only source of value (that I could spot, anyway). Both the elf and the bear’s personality quirks make for silly dialogue that’s likely to have you reaching for your phone out of boredom, and the faceless frontman doesn’t have a humorous word to say all episode. Even if you hate modern fantasy anime more than anything and want to see a show take jabs at it, there are better options than “My Healer.”
Potential: 5%

Amun: “So bad it’s good” – the goal of “Don’t Hurt Me, My Healer!” production committee. I’m guessing the main writer interned at Gintama and learned all of the wrong lessons. I hate all these characters. I hate the dialogue. I hate the premise. I hate everything. Well, except maybe the bear – she’s a bit funny. Nothing really happened this episode except to contrive a reason this is a show at all. There’s some dark-elf face going on here too – is that still allowed? I can’t keep up. I have stubbed my toe to greater joy than watching this show. I bet Lenlo loves it (not really though – if you watch this, it’s not my fault). ^_^
Potential: 0%

Ascendance of a Bookworm 3

Short Synopsis: Small reincarnated girl tries to make books but ends up navigating complicated political matters instead.

Amun: One of the best qualities of “Bookworm” is consistency. The oddest isekai’s tale of a young girl’s struggle to make books has stayed remarkably on message for the three seasons – Main has overcome her obstacles, both political and physical, on her Gutenberg quest, while new foes rise to complicate matters. I think the largest looming subplot is the faintest hint of a love triangle emerging with her young friend Lutz and the head priest – poor kid never had a chance. This season is opening with winter and some kind of ritual (which seems a bit ominous) – plus there’s always the chance of Main freaking out and killing everyone. Which would be very entertaining, come to think of it. Our new enemy of the season is the Ink Guild – I think there’s a huge missed opportunity for their logo to be an octopus. Every sequel has some sentiment of “I expect it to be like the previous seasons”, but with “Bookworm”, I’d say you can fully count on it.
Potential: 90%

Komi Can’t Communicate Part 2

Short Synopsis: Komi-san makes some more friends.

Mario: The first season of Komi-san started strong but eventually lost its steam for me and went out not with a bang but a whimper, to the point that I considered not picking up the second season. Well, this premiere blew my socks off again with adept direction and well-timed gags. The three skits they have for this episode are diverse, and introduce new characters / reinforce the old cast in a fun and playful mode. That new “punk” character is a fitting addition to the cast. At its core, Komi-san is about the need for communication for those who are socially-awkward, so he parallels much of what Komi-san has gone through. All the jokes land at just the right moments. While I feel that airing this season puts this show at a disadvantage because of the comparison to Kaguya-sama (and I prefer the latter much better myself), Komi-san is still a must-watch show this season.
Potential: 50%

Paripi Koumei

Short Synopsis: A Chinese military tactician is reborn in modern day Japan, where he decides to become a pop singer’s agent.

Wooper: Anime has tackled China’s military epic “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” a handful of times, but never has it dropped one of its primary generals into the 21st century… until now. I was planning to skip this show, but we got a comment urging us to check it out, and it ended up being pretty fun! It’s a fish out of water story, a template that often feels tired because the contrast between its pond and its ocean (so to speak) is over-exaggerated. But when the fish is a 300 IQ military strategist and the ocean is 1800 years removed from the pond, you’ve got yourself a winning premise. Zhuge Liang (here referred to by his courtesy name Kongming) has an enormous intellect, which he uses to rapidly absorb both the broader realities and technological minutiae of modern Japan. He also has a genuine love for music and develops a strong distaste for EDM upon first listen, making him a thoroughly based individual. There’s a careful comedic hand at work behind his character, balancing his cluelessness (“And what, pray tell, is the blockchain?”) and brilliance in equal measure, allowing him to carry the entire show with ease. I’m less happy with him hitching his wagon to a wannabe pop star, since that’s the sort of tripe that can easily kill a TV show – if we start leaning away from Kongming and towards some “big dreams in the big city” bullshit I’ll bail, but for now I’m in.
Potential: 50%

SPY x FAMILY

Short Synopsis: Super-Spy needs a kid for a mission, so he grabs one from the orphanage. He accidentally grabs a psychic one.

Lenlo: From what I remember of my time reading the manga, the start to Spy X Family was the most off-putting part. From two eccentric lead characters and their relationship to an equally absurd overarching mission, Spy X Family had a lot to establish in the first episode. And for the most part? I think it succeeded. As hamfisted as Twilight’s backstory is, it’s enough justification for this wholesome relationship to keep going. Especially when combined with that deep buried desire for a family. And as for Anya’s uwu voice? It was a tad grating at times, but she both thinks and acts like the 5 year old child she is, so it’s far more fitting than last season’s Frederica. Add on to that some successful gags like hide and seek when he was leaving or Anya’s obsession with spies and this becomes a fun, wholesome series with enough going on that it’s more engaging than the rest of the Slice of Life style shows out there. So I’m definitely going to be watching more.
Potential: 70%

Amun: Man, I was super scared when Lenlo was hyped about Spy x Family – plus we’re even both previewing it. And of course, our writers’ polarity curse has struck again! This episode…was a huge disappointment. What kind of pretentious, implausible lead is this? And Esper girl is really annoying and bratty. I get that it’s supposed to be funny, and I came into this really, really wanting to like it – but this premiere fell flat for me. At least it looks great (although I’m pretty sure I’ve seen that street in Titan). I guess this is what you get when you put Wit and Cloverworks together – cutesy, heart-string tugs with a few fight scenes thrown in (but I really liked the aerosolized flour shots). I think my issue here is the balance of comedy, cuteness,and thriller – this episode doesn’t nail it. Do I think it’ll get better? I sure hope so – I think the addition of the “wife” will probably help. Right now, this is my disappointment of the season so far. I’ll probably watch all of it.
Potential: 50%

Ao Ashi

Short Synopsis: A talented but loud kid gets scouted by a mysterious coach and spends the night together on the beach.

Mario: Soccer anime is not a rarity, but it’s also damn hard to get it right. Part of the issue is that soccer anime, like any sports anime, is more suitable in a long-running format. The current trend of this industry is limited to 1 or 2 cours, and as a result these sport shows get bogged down in the beginning phrase before they can truly take flight. The other issue is that it is difficult to animate soccer right. I have watched a few of them and without a proper budget, they just look terrible. I’m not totally convinced that Ao Ashi can get past these two concerns – its animated soccer match doesn’t look polished. I am glad, however, that it focuses on the core characters first and foremost: giving them proper time for the chemistry to sink in, giving the characters a plausible goal before expanding its cast. The main character’s antics can be loud and annoying at times (and yes, it pokes fun at itself as well. Look at the screencap), but when paired with this coach, they actually strengthen each other so far. I also approve of the way the show sets its sights on the world stage rather than the national level like other shows tend to do. All in all, like Lenlo says below, “This is a standard sports show that does everything competently.”
Potential: 40%

Lenlo: I dunno what else to say but that Ao Ashi is a sports show. Like the quintessential sports show. Yeah, the CGI players in the opening half are jank af, and yeah the soccer isn’t the most exciting part. But… I just kinda like sports shows? Ao Ashi isn’t trying to be anything special. It’s not trying to be a drama like 2.43 was, nor is it trying to one-up Haikyuu. It just wants to be a decent time for people who like action-y sports series. And in that I think it succeeds. There really isn’t much to say about it beyond, “This is a standard sports show that does everything competently.”
Potential: 50%

Love After World Domination

Short Synopsis: Romeo and Juliet with Red Power Ranger Boy and Pants-less Skull Girl.

Amun: (I bet Lenlo HATES this one). And in fairness…the character designs are wildly uneven. It’s so weird! It’s like half of the animators know how to draw the main girl’s face and half don’t….and they work on different scenes. The Power Rangers (I don’t care what their real name is – G5 or something stupid) are well animated…so why aren’t your main leads?! That’s going to really bother me if they don’t figure that out. As I’ve said before, I feel very generous towards this kind of premise (until it invariably gets beaten to death in a few seasons), but “Love After World Domination” is paper thin in pretty much every area but butt animation (and even that’s really uneven!) Like seriously, where are your pants? Right now, the animation is so uneven, I can’t make a determination – but I’ve rarely seen these issues improve over a season. Fix that, and I’m fully onboard.
Potential: 25-50%

Lenlo: I feel personally attacked to have my opinion assumed in this way… But you aren’t totally wrong. Like Amun said LAWD, as I like to call it, is a really inconsistent show. Sometimes it’s a competent Super Sentai action piece, other times it’s a mediocre rom-com. And in both cases I find the leading ladies outfit to be absurd and designed for the soul purpose of ass and tit shots. Stepping back for a moment, it’s a cute enough premise. More clever than most of the jokey junk food that usually fills out the season. So for that I want to give it credit. But… It’s still jokey junk food, the kind of thing that simply isn’t worth my time. I’d rather be catching up on older shows, checking out some western TV, or reading books and planning for my World of Darkness game than rotting my teeth with stuff like this. If it’s the feel good genre you are in for, this might be worth your time? If you want something with a more serious bite to it though, this will be a hard pass.
Potential: 10%

Kaguya-sama: Love is War -Ultra Romantic-

Short Synopsis: Four nutcases and one airhead procrastinate in their student council duties by turning mundane situations into major crises.

Lenlo: You already know by now what this is. Or whether or not you like Kaguya-sama. The only real question here is if Season 3 maintains the same level of quality as the last two. And to that I can confidently say: Yes, it does. This first episode felt just like any other episode in the series. It was fun, with a number of clever gags and premises that got me chuckling as the layers to each got peeled away. I vastly prefer this kind of layered comedy to anime’s more general slapstick, so it’s nice to see it back. Supporting this, Shinichi Omata continues with his fantastically clever and inventive direction. He brings so much to the series, so many visual queues like the camel that simply didn’t exist in the manga. Augmenting it for our personal silver screens. My enjoyment of this series isn’t in question, I know for a fact I’m going to have fun here. The only question in my mind is whether or not this will top season 2, should they have improved their drama abilities, or if it will be about the same quality as before.
Potential: 80%

Wooper: That opening montage was a heck of a reintroduction to the world of Shuchiin Academy. Even if some of its explosive pink imagery was recycled from season 2’s finale, its appearance sent a clear message: we know you remember these characters, and we know you’ve been waiting for their return. They’re especially welcome sights after watching a barren winter give way to a bleak (thus far) spring season – Kaguya-sama’s reliability is something anime could use more of, so I’m happy it’s back. We’re already making new discoveries about the student council members, such as Iino’s weakness for sexually-tinged motivational mp3s and Kaguya’s archery-honed hand strength, and this premiere puts them to good comedic use. We even got a Hayasaka appearance in the season’s first outing (overseeing Kaguya’s tentative first steps into the world of smartphone literacy). What else could you want from this show? Other than an arm wrestling story that doesn’t conclude with a girl’s victory resulting in her humiliation, I mean. Kaguya ought to be a little cooler under peer pressure than she was a year ago – at least enough to brush off the teasing of the chumps she just beat. That nitpick aside, I enjoyed the whole episode (but I hope something else can outperform it before these first impressions are through).
Potential: 75%

The Dawn of the Witch

Short Synopsis: Three mages get to know one another while carrying out an escort mission for a royal academy.

Mario: Damnit, up until I finished this episode, I hadn’t realized that it is a spin-off of Grimoire of Zero, a show I did watch back in 2017 but have since forgotten about. I did enjoy the mismatched duo of Zero and the beastfallen Youhei in the original series, but the fantasy setting is unfortunately so generic that I didn’t make any connection between this show and Grimoire of Zero (and no, Albus’s name didn’t ring a bell). Structure-wise, this first episode is clean enough to establish the quest to come and some minor conflicts along the way. The team is rescuing their fellow classmate Kudd at the moment and I can see him joining the group real soon. The interactions between the cast is just about enough… but unfortunately the dialogue drags a bit for me here. I suppose the titular witch is the worst offender for this, as she tends to act like a 6-year-old kid and the show has a tendency to amp up her tantrums, and her old-school way of talking. The main dude doesn’t fare any better, as he has as much energy as a koala sleeping in a tree (Koalas spend 90% of their time sleeping by the way). As far as “adventure” goes I can see it appeals to the target audience – it has the fun of adventure, peppered with the cast of diverse characters and a hint of political / racial tension, but otherwise if you want something deeper or more adventurous (in terms of style and storytelling), you can look elsewhere.
Potential: 30%

Wooper: Another fantasy anime destined for the digital landfill, this time set in the Kingdom of Wenias (heh). Honestly, my brain was mostly glazed over during this episode, but I still picked up on the perverted storyboarding – I’m sure you can imagine what that means, so I won’t go into any more detail. I also remember that the headmaster of Wenias’ Academy of Magic (for there must always be a magic academy) was named Albus, but instead of a bearded man with twinkling eyes peering over half-moon spectacles, she was a boring blonde lady with big boobs – give me old and wise over hot and uninteresting any day. As for the main character, he was the wettest of blankets (your classic anime underachiever with nothing in the way of personality), so his traveling companions’ attempts to get him talking resulted in some pretty dull conversation. That’s the one thing I can give Dawn of the Witch credit for, though – it tries its hardest to establish both context and character through conversation, rather than putting a narrator in our ear and calling it a day. Whether it succeeds in its goal is up to the individual to decide; personally, I found it mind-numbing, but I’ve also seen at least a dozen versions of this setting and/or premise that were far worse.
Potential: 10%

Tiger & Bunny 2

Short Synopsis: An array of sellout superheroes gang up on criminals to look good for the camera.

Wooper: I should have known better than to look forward to the second season of a show whose first season I couldn’t finish. Tiger and Bunny are as uncoordinated and childish as ever, making the prospect of watching them in 2022 even less appealing than it was in 2011. They’re left in the dust by all of the other heroes when responding to a robbery during this episode’s protracted intro sequence, and they resort to the silent treatment after one of them takes the other’s energy drink from the break room fridge. Those “other heroes” are no better – amalgamations of stereotypes and stock character traits, one and all. The show doesn’t seem to have a point of view regarding its corporate sponsorship gimmick, which is one of the most frustrating things about it. Midway through the episode, Tiger and Bunny are forced to go golfing with one of their company’s richest benefactors, who’s thrilled to be in the presence of two manufactured superstars, and their response is one of mild inconvenience. Very few of the heroes (if any) are frustrated by the attachment of a points-based ranking system to their work, as though they have no real opinions about the superhero business. To top it all off, the post-ED scene that teases this season’s villainous duo sends them whizzing past camp and straight into the loony bin. If you’re a T&B fan, bon appétit – seriously, clean your plate so I don’t have to eat the leftovers.
Potential: Not my thing

Mario: I have fond memories of the original Tiger & Bunny. While it’s nowhere near my favorite series of that year (2011 was still one of the great years in anime), I found the very idea of superheroes incorporated with reality shows and business to be fun, and a good way to satirize the consumerism of today’s world. This first episode more than satisfies that idea, introducing a new “normal” as the superhero teams are now functioning as pairs, or “buddies” to use the show’s term. It’s great to see the old gang back with some fresh new faces, and so far they are a delight. I also feel that the way they set up a new status quo is well-done, because as the before and after-credits suggest, things will get far out of control later on. I might have preferred if they stayed in this light mode of characters’ nonsensical bickering and reality-show satire rather than the over-the-top, exploding action-drama later on, but all I can say for now is that I feel right at home watching these characters again.
Potential: 50% – or “Feels right at home”

Shachiku-san wa Youjo Yuurei ni Iyasaretai

Short Synopsis: Smol ghost girl brings overworked salarywoman tea and love.

Amun: Think Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid – and then reduce it to about 5% the content (swapping dragons for ghosts and other fantastic beasts). This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, except that this episode tells, then re-tells the same couple hours from multiple perspectives. Just not a whole lot happens (a few rice balls get stolen and wtf is up with Japanese corporate parties). Our main characters are standard enough – I like how anime programmers now use VS Code (and apparently the gender balance in Japan seems a lot healthier than the US according to anime). Cute ghost is cute – but how has no one noticed the literal apartment in the supply closet? Should you watch it? If you want something simple and sweet every week, then sure!
Potential: 50%

Mario: Shachiku-san is like that of a marshmallow. It’s sweet, it’s squishy… but even with just 20 minutes it feels awfully long as there isn’t a lot going on behind its premise. You could summarize the show in one sentence, and by the second half it repeats the same story again with just another perspective – an utter filler if you ask me. The plot is beyond “simple” to an extent that I think it would fare much better if it were a short. Out of all the shows I have watched so far for this season, unfortunately it’s Shachiku-san that tries its hardest to please everyone, but precisely because of that its sweetness just overwhelmed everything else and left a bitter taste instead. Oh “Pwease”.
Potential: 20%

Heroine Tarumono!: Kiraware Heroine to Naisho no Oshigoto

Short Synopsis: A country girl moves to Tokyo and gets to work on acquiring her ideal high school life (with a few snags).

Mario: Heroine Tarumono must try harder to win me over. There’s a sense of familiarity about its school settings and plot, and so far while it doesn’t put any wrong steps, it’s hardly memorable either. As far as I know the show shares the same universe with Kokuhaku Jikkou Iinkai movies, and many of the old cast did appear in this episode. The main focus, however, is about this new pumpkin country girl Hiyori who is a manager of her classmate / idol duo. So far I don’t really care for any character, and the plot can go implausible at times (the job hunting, her living alone in a big city. Really?) but the production is otherwise solid. I’m not that invested to the story to stick around longer, but I can see that it has a solid formula and if they play the cards well, this could become a sleeper hit of the season.
Potential: 30%

Wooper: This is the best start to a “girl becomes manager of a male idol group” show that I’ve ever seen, low bar though that may be. The main character has a concrete personality, there are more than two women with speaking parts, and the series has concerns outside of how awesome idols are. I was impressed by all sorts of things while watching this premiere: an around-the-horn style cast introduction, decent character animation, and even a scene where three newly-introduced girls make friends without batting an eye. Can you remember the last high school anime you saw where the prospect of chatting with a classmate wasn’t cause for anxiety? I’d practically forgotten how pleasant that could be until Heroine Tarumono reminded me. It’s not all good news for the series, though. Lead character Hiyori is so shrill that it’s tough to endure her voice when she enters her upper register; she has plenty of good qualities, but listenability isn’t one of them. The part-time job she stumbles into isn’t particularly promising, either, revolving around two teen heartthrobs who are also her classmates. Based on where this sort of anime typically goes, there’s all the reason in the world to fear that Tarumono’s uncommonly strong start will be for naught, but Hiyori’s well-meaning nature and strong work ethic have me hoping that her show will beat the odds.
Potential: 40%

The Demon Girl Next Door Season 2

Short Synopsis: Weak/broke but otherwise happy demon girl must defeat a traumatized but overpowered magical girl – or just be friends with her.

Amun: “Demon Girl Next Door” is a heartwarming take on “magic girl vs demon girl”, with surprising nuance wrapped up in a “poverty” comedy. Season two picks right back up, with the focus remaining on the latest magic girl to join (who I guess is really into citrus). “Demon Girl Next Door” is at its best when it explores Momo’s flaws and inner struggles – Yuuko’s screen time is mostly fine, but can get a little grating, as she’s cosmically behind the curve. The overall mystery (such as why her father is spirit sealed inside a cardboard box) looms over the comedy, and I’m interested to see if that’s fleshed out a bit more this season. To me, this is a season sleeper if it can rise above “haha, poor and weak = funny” – which I believe it can.
Potential: 80%

Lenlo: I mean… It’s Machikado. This is the exact kind of moe slapstick comedy I don’t like. There’s no layers, no complexity, to anything. If what you want is a wholesome, brainoff, feel good moe blob then I think Machikado will pay off for you in spades. But I don’t have enough time in my day to spend 30 minutes watching fluff. So this is a pass from me.
Potential: 10%

The Rising of the Shield Hero S2

Short Synopsis: Unexpected giant spirit tortoise terrorizes the world!

Amun: Shield Hero is best when it’s the edgy underdog that isn’t afraid to get a little scummy. For me, season one ended in a strange place – it felt like the world was expanded larger than it should have been. Season Two looks to narrow the scope with just one special event boss to fight…wait, a giant spirit tortoise? That’s seriously what it is?! The subplot of the newest party member probably will be a decent sized plot line…which I honestly don’t really care about (I don’t even really remember who that is). The most striking plot device so far is the rage shield – it’ll be interesting to keep an eye on. The visuals are still good, and I think the “mood” or “vibe” is still properly sour – I expect this to be pretty similar to season 1. Only thing is, after seeing this episode I just feel a bit down – maybe it can counteract some of the other sweeteners of the season.
Potential: 75%

Lenlo: I’m sorry, you can’t make me watch this, something something trashy slave fantasy bad.

Deaimon

Short Synopsis: A former runaway returns to his grandparents’ confectionery and discovers that they’ve already chosen a successor to run the store.

Mario: This was, for my money, the first truly solid first episode of the season. Deaimon has many admirable qualities: its art is pleasing to the eyes, its backgrounds are vivid and lived-in with a soft color palette (they remind me of Tsuki ga Kirei, which is a good thing) and the characters are thoughtful and well-developed. Well, it’s still guilty of many anime tropes (the red eyes, I never got those) and this first episode doesn’t really break any new ground story-wise, but it more than makes up for these shortcomings with grounded characters with intimate relationships. We already get to witness a deeper side of both Nagomu and Itsuka, both their personalities and their insecurities. Itsuka’s fear of rejection might not steal our tears away like 4-year-old Kotaro did (did Kotaro Lives Alone air this season, or last? It’s hard to categorize), but the bittersweet emotion at the end is well earned. I am certainly looking forward to more.
Potential: 60%

Wooper: Deaimon is sweet like the treats sold at the series’ confectionery, but it’s not particularly filling. It’s an informally adoptive father/daughter story (Japan seems to put out one of these every couple years) with an emphasis on mild comedy, even relying on a bit of costumed street music to resolve its first dilemma. The conflict between disapproving father and prodigal son is smoothed over with some comedic overreactions and a scene of the dad playing sergeant as his son does push-ups at five in the morning. That’s all fine – a light tone comes as a welcome change after oodles of anime that bear a grudge against decency – but I struggled to find anything to hold on to while watching. The ten year old girl helping to run the sweet shop has a past full of parental abandonment, but the premiere merely glances at it before averting its eyes. The chain of events that led the son to run away from home is beyond silly, making his return much less of an event than it ought to be. Deaimon is a pleasant enough watch, and the fuzzy filter used for the background art is easy on the eyes, but it’s not funny or warm enough to make up for its airiness.
Potential: 30%

Skeleton Knight in Another World

Short Synopsis: More “gamer wakes up in an MMO” bullshit, now with bonus rape.

Wooper: What’s the point of a “viewer discretion is advised” notice if it appears while the scene requiring discretion is already underway? Skeleton Knight in Another World (or “Skeleknight,” as I was planning to nickname it before I gave up twenty seconds into this episode) opens with just such a warning, only by the time your eyes shift to the top of the screen to read it, a girl’s skirt has already been torn in half by her would-be rapist. His accomplice has her friend pinned down a few meters away, breasts mostly exposed, camera perfectly positioned for maximum jiggle. As if things couldn’t get any sicker, the first guy gleefully announces that his soon-to-be victim has peed herself. This was the point where I closed my video player, feeling more disdainful than disgusted. There’s little doubt in my mind that the hero of the show stepped in to rescue both girls just seconds later, but that doesn’t change what a garbage pile this premiere was bound to be after that sort of beginning. If I’m going to watch an anime that contains sexual violence, it’s going to be Ninja Scroll or Berserk – something that uses the act to comment on the cruelty of its world or characters. If you open your seasonal isekai (strike one) with a rape scene (strike two) just so your hero can save the damsel in distress (strike three), you’re out.
Potential: None

Lenlo: You have no idea how tempted I was to, in the first 2 seconds of this show, immediately close it. However seeing that is exactly what Wooper did, I felt the need to stick it through. To really see what this show is about. My conclusion? It’s just crappy Overlord. Which is saying something, since Overlord already wasn’t very good. It’s like someone saw the arc where the lead dresses up as a knight to hide being a Lich, thought “That was cool”, and made an entire show about it. And that includes all of the shitty MMO skills/stats/gear crap that has come to permeate the Isekai genre. The sad thing with Skeleknight though is that, at least going by the OP, it could have been something! It could have embraced all the stupidity of its concept and gone full-camp and been fine! It wouldn’t have been a good show. But it would have at least been mindless fun. You can see it in a few places that actually got a chuckle out of me, like the randomly assigned backstory. But it’s like a single glittering copper piece in the dung pile that is the rest of this show. And that’s just sad.
Potential: 0 Copper Pieces

Amun: As the resident isekai enjoyer, I must thank Mr. Wooper for sacrificing his eyeballs to warn us of this opening. I only wish someone had warned me with Goblin Slayer…

BIRDIE WING: Golf Girls’ Story

Short Synopsis: Blondie with a tragic upbringing plays underground golf to survive.

Mario: Most of its runtime Birdie Wing is ridiculous and inconsistent, but that’s precisely the reason why it has its own charms that other sports anime seem to lack. It frames its main character not as a traditional sportsperson, but as an underdog superhero at times (what’s with all the special moves and money-shot still images?). The plot carries the same bizarre sense of logic – you have a girl who poses as another pro golfer and gets away with it, inconsistencies across the board (look at the tree that gets chopped down within just a few frames), and uneven production that looks bad half of the time and looks great only in key moments… but guess what? I’m buying it all. At least, all the characters are fun to watch and I cannot wait to see what ridiculousness they can cook up next. Count me in on this ride.
Potential: 50%

Lenlo: The sad truth of Birdie Wing is that… it just doesn’t look good. It’s ambitious at times, I’ll give it that. Going for these full-green camera shots, following the ball as it bursts through trees and over the rough. But the CGI is painfully bad and the composite is about the same. I understand why Birdie Wing did it. They had to try anything they could to make golf of all things interesting to watch. So they made it about hot girls, added in some Jojo-esque super-powered swings and tried to have some crazy action shots. It’s kinda fun and wacky, going for that same energy Sk8 had last year. But unlike Sk8 or Jojo, Birdie Wing fails to nail that thin line where camp is good for me. At the end of the day this is still an uninteresting golf show and I have little desire to watch more of it. Which is a shame, because I was hopeful that this might be a surprise of an otherwise sequel laden season. Least the blondie is kinda cute.
Potential: 20%

The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody

Short Synopsis: If you don’t have friends, just reincarnate! [This is actually a really, really terrible message if you think about it]

Lenlo: Dear Lord who art in Heaven, please free me from the garbage Fantasy Light Novel trend. Surprisingly enough, despite its similarity to I’m Quitting Heroing in premise, this isn’t the worst series I’ve seen today. Turning a big demon lord into a chuuni got a chuckle or two out of me. I don’t think that’s enough to carry the show, I was still checked out for most of it. But it’s more promising than the other crap I’ve watched today so for that it gets a slightly higher score. Watch this if you want the not-worst fantasy light novel of the season to fill some time.
Potential: 5%

Amun: I’m pretty sure you could graph Lenlo’s scores vs mine and find a perfect inverse correlation. While he thinks Greatest Demon Lord is better than I’m Quitting Heroing, I think it’s quite a bit worse. This is an annoying evolution of isekai – the reincarnated OP demon lord trying to find friends. However, I think this is likely better than last season’s Shikkakumon, which was a monotonous march to the finish. There’s some potential for an interesting backstory with the reincarnated pair with betrayal, elf-racism, etc. – but I really didn’t engage with either character’s sob story. This is Silver Link, so expect some of the awkward fight scenes they’re known for – I’m not expecting this series to look amazing. The bottom line? “Watch this if you want the not-worst fantasy light novel of the season to fill some time.” (See – Lenlo and I did agree on something.)
Potential: 35%

RPG Fudousan

Short Synopsis: A pink-haired mage finds employment as a real estate agent and gets to know her coworkers (and shows superior knowledge of flowers to close a deal).

Wooper: This is Tomoaki Koshida’s fourth attempt at directing a series that anybody cares about, and from the looks of this premiere, it’s destined to be his fourth failure. This episode commits a big faux pas not even a minute into its run, when it directs two characters to excessively praise the female lead for something she’s not very good at (in this case, her unremarkable singing). Whenever you read a script or watch a series that flatters its own protagonist this way, you can be reasonably sure the rest of the story will take the easy route as well. Sure enough, RPG Fudousan does this at every available moment. In place of a plot, it tosses off a few lines about its fantasy land experiencing a post-war golden age, then busies itself with vapid exchanges and gags among its cast. The characters are designed with a single-minded focus on cuteness, to the point that they don’t seem capable of anything other than basic biological functions and cloying pleasantries. There’s a girl named Fa who exists strictly as pedo bait, shedding her clothes at various points and speaking with a childish lisp that’s sure to drive its intended audience wild. That’s the only value RPG Fudousan has, really – as a honeypot to attract lolicons so they don’t congregate around better shows.
Potential: 0%

Amun: Mmmm, this was a bit of a letdown. If you came in expecting cute girls to work in a cute workplace, doing cute things – this was spot on. I was hoping to see a slice of life dealing with a forced change of professions based on post-war circumstances in a fantasy land. What I got was a nudist loli dragon, an exhibitionist/type-A/genderbender warrior, a blonde perfect girl, and our generic lead – who, and this is weird that it bothers me this much, has shoes that do NOT match the rest of her outfit. Seriously, those little heel boot things completely clash with the rest of the quasi-Victorian witch outfit going on. Her professional attire matches them a little better, but still – get her a different pair of shoes! Like some flats with a cat design buckle would have been perfectly on character there – even given her some extra depth. Maybe it was to drive home the point of a country girl trying to not look it – it still annoys me. Sorry, we got off track there. There are probably better slice of life series this season – go watch those.
Potential: 15%

Black★★Rock Shooter: DAWN FALL

Short Synopsis: Sleepy robot (?) girl saves some kids from bad robots.

Amun: I think I’ve seen the original ONA, and I definitely watched the 8 episodes that came out about a decade ago. Obviously there’s the original song and music video that catapulted the titular character to fame. However…I have no idea how any of that is related to Dawn Fall, except that the character design looks very similar. If my foggy memory serves, last time Black Rock Shooter was in a high school and switching between the post-apocalyptic world; this time around seems pretty set in the dystopian future of man vs machine (maybe she was fighting the same big boss at the end?). There are some pretty common robots-becoming-human themes here – although Mr. Sexbot 3000 was a bit of a surprise in his, erm, approach to deeply understanding humanity. There’s a bit of self-aware humor here (which, given some of the translation issues, might be more of a fansub editorial than the actual script), but the dialogue is pretty sparse. Given the oddities with the release licensing (Disney+ strikes again), I think the best hope is a legitimate fansub group picks this up. The big takeaway is that Dawn Fall looks great – in fact, I think they could have slowed down a few of their shots in the fighting sequence, there was just so much action packed in. Sure it’s CG, but that was always BRS’s MO, so no surprises there. My guess? It’ll be easy on the eyes and light on the plot. Sounds good to me!
Potential: 60%

Mario: I came to Black Rock Shooter without any real expectation and I got out of it mildly impressed. I have no prior knowledge to Black Rock Shooter franchise, but I have no problem following the story as 1) it is a reboot and 2) Dawn Fall is very light on plot and big on explosions. Yes, the story is such a mess (when you see a battle right off the bat without knowing whom to root for, it’s a bad sign), the characters are just cardboard figures at the moment (the main character has – yeah, you guessed it – amnesia), its visuals look consistently confident at all times. The CG fights blend together well, so does the choreography of the fights. At the moment, Dawn Fall is one of the titles that flew under the radar the most – it is only streaming in Japan and hardly gets a proper sub, and its appeal is mainly for those who have experienced the franchise before – but I am here to claim that it looks more polished than half of the current season’s offerings, if you can shut down your brain because the plot doesn’t really matter.
Potential: 40%

I’m Quitting Heroing

Short Synopsis: Single-handedly defeating a demon army does not provide the expected job security for a hero.

Lenlo: I really wonder if me and Amun watched the same show because seriously if it walks like isekai trash, quacks like isekai trash and has all the visual blandness of isekai trash then lets just call it isekai trash. Yeah there’s no opening scene where some schmuck gets hit by a truck and gets teleported, yet aside from that everything about this series has the structure of one. From the oft-repeated shallow fantasy crap to what I consider to be bland and standard visuals. This show is just painfully boring. It took me an hour to get through a 24 minute episode because none of it had any charm. Visually and narrative this comes off like a series made by a bunch of old men in committee, not by someone with any actual passion. So yeah, count me out. I’d rather watch Shield Hero than this. At least that revels in its trashiness.
Potential: 0%

Amun: This is one of my most anticipated non-sequel shows of the season (the other being Spy x Family). From the first episode, I’d say….they probably spent all their budget on the premiere. You can tell from the little animation tricks, especially when fighting the full formed demon. Which, if this turns out to be even decently animated, I think it’s still fully serviceable – I’m just a little concerned to see some shortcuts this early on. The character adaptations from the manga feel okay, although I feel as though Leo came off a little wooden (I imagined him a bit more cocky, but he feels pretty bland for someone who is that OP). That said, I love this premise – and I think even this MC has some potential. Normally, we’re seeing MC’s with “soft-skills” who are wildly weak or reincarnated, overpowered heroes who were supposedly awkward in their past life but still end up with the harem – Leo lacks people skills to such an extreme that he managed to go from the savior of the country to the villain. Now that’s talent. However, it’s hard to strike the balance between a character the viewers want to cheer for and someone completely insufferable. All in all? I’m still here for a few more episodes (probably the whole season, to be honest), but I’m trimming my expectations slightly.
Potential: 70%

Tomodachi Game

Short Synopsis: Five students are dragged into a series of psychological games in order to repay one person’s debt.

Lenlo: The best way I can describe Tomodachi Game is knock-off Squid Game. It’s not that Tomodachi Game is a bad premise, nor that the game played is dull. Rather it’s that Tomodachi Game falls into the same trap that every other series trying to mimic Kaiji does: It cares more about the games than it does the players. Despite the fact that it’s the players, the characters and their circumstances and why they are playing to begin with, that makes these series work. Squid Game works because we care about Seong Gi-hun, Abdul Ali, etc. Kaiji works because of how much time we spend with him and how we come to know him. But Tomodachi Game dives right into a 5-person game, only giving us a single second of flashing character cards and a few small scenes for each. I don’t know, or care, about any of these people yet. I don’t buy their friendship or their bond. In fact, because of the way this show is framed, I have doubted its authenticity from the beginning. Suffice to say that this was a miss for me, despite some colorful directing.
Potential: 20%

Wooper: I was sure that this was going to be terrible, but Tomodachi Game’s playful storyboarding managed to rescue this episode – during the gambling scenes, anyway. The consistent use of diagrams explained the rules and illustrated the stakes for each character, and a few colorful backgrounds gave the games an exaggerated feeling that I kind of liked. There’s a clear mandate here to emphasize the psychological aspect at the expense of everything else – probably the right call given the show’s limited resources, but it does handicap the characters in a major way. The series is in such a rush to get to the debt repayment games that it introduces the cast with on-screen paragraphs, and the way it pits Money and Friendship against each other in the protagonist’s flashbacks is some of the most blatant theming that any anime has served up in recent years. All five kids are such nonentities that there’s no reason to care whether they get through the games or drown in debt; the brown-haired girl in particular is a nauseatingly transparent representation of innocence. Tomodachi Game might be worth somebody’s time if future episodes get much crazier, but it’s so thinly written that I’m done after one.
Potential: 25%