Category: Other:

Hell’s Paradise

Short Synopsis: Death row convict ninja is offered a chance at a full pardon if he finds the elixir of life with his hot would-be executioner.

Lenlo: For most of this first episode, Hell’s Paradise kind of disappointed me. Not narratively, that fits with what I expected. I liked how it spent an entire episode setting up Gabimaru’s personality, history, stakes in this conflict, as well as his relationship with Sagiri. All of that was fine, good time. No, what disappointed me was the production. For most of the episode it felt… lacking. There wasn’t that spark to it, something to set it apart, it felt passionless in a lot of ways and this was reflected in the rather drab color palette. But in the last maybe…1/3rd of the episode, Hell’s Paradise managed to bring it back. Its depiction of the island, of Gabimaru’s flames once he had his will to live back, of the flowers on the boat, all looked gorgeous. Maybe, just maybe, Hell’s Paradise is saving its production chops for the island, so that it truly feels set apart and otherworldly from the “real” mainland. At least that’s the hope I have as we head further into the season. If it can bring that production up a few steps, then I imagine I’ll have a good time with this.
Potential: 60%

Amun: Ah, this is actually really bad. I think with MAPPA’s recent success, we gloss over the less than stellar outings. Specifically, Hell’s Paradise feels a TON like the opening of Dororo, which…looked pretty good, but was a mess. I feel like the hype surrounding this show is an echo from Chainsaw Man’s success; I just have a bad feeling this show is the old MAPPA, not the new. Like Lenlo, I am very whelmed by the premiere – I think the characters are surprisingly uninteresting. Who knew, professional killers are kind of boring people – maybe it isn’t Gabimaru who is hollow, it’s Hell’s Paradise as a whole. Judging from previews and posters, this is an ensemble outing, so maybe some side characters help things along, but I don’t think I’ll last a season with these leads. It’s weird too, since I’m very partial to white haired heroes (Gabimaru is like an evil Bell), and Asaemon, on paper, is right in my strike zone. I guess maybe I’m not excited about the period piece that so far it looks to be – hopefully the island itself gets the series into the groove. As of right now, I’m very worried (plus there’s the infamous MAPPA back-half animation-quality crater).
Potential: Scared because I want this to be good (50%)

MIX SEASON 2

Short Synopsis: The key members of Meisei High consider new applicants and graduating middle school talents for a place on the school’s baseball team.

Wooper: Before booting up this premiere, I wondered whether Mix’s second season would feel significantly different from its 2019 incarnation, especially given the director change to first-timer Tomohiro Kamitani. Having seen the episode, the answer I’ve settled on is “only slightly,” which is a good thing, since I was fond of the series when it first aired. The presentation is largely the same, introducing characters with freeze frames and narration by Noriko Hidaka, who voiced Minami in Touch (Mix’s 40 year old prequel series). Poor background art and middling character animation are still the show’s greatest weaknesses, but it’s got the same strengths, as well: leisurely pacing that prioritizes fun dialogue between a wide range of established characters. The only new face in this whole episode was that of baseball team hopeful Nishiki, whose zombie-like appearance may be the result of mangaka Mitsuru Adachi trying to draw a new face for once in his career. Despite all the talk surrounding Nishiki’s violent past and shady friend group, I’m not too interested in him, or in any single character. Rather, it’s Mix’s overall blend of high school and graduating middle school students that appeals to me, laying the foundation for what ought to be a serious Koshien run in a couple years.
Potential: 60%

Mario: This first episode does a great job to remind us where the first season stopped (it has been a few years), and reintroduce the main cast with proper introduction cards to boost. But as usual with any of Adachi’s works, it’s less about baseball and more about the characters’ interaction, and so far its gentle atmosphere is a total delight. It looks like we will have a new addition to the team: the violent Nishiki. However, if you are familiar with Adachi’s brand, the “delinquent hit his senpais and got suspended” is a familiar trope, one I really hope Adachi doesn’t tread that same path this time. It’s great to have you back, Mix.
Potential: 40%

Tengoku Daimakyou

Short Synopsis: Fifteen years after an apocalyptic event, a pair of travelers search for an orphanage they know only by the name “Heaven.”

Lenlo: Tengoku is in a really weird place for me. The world is interesting, this Promised Neverland style setup where we get to see both sides of the wall/conflict is kinda cool, and the lead girl is pretty damn hot with those scars. But something about the pacing is just… I felt like this 20 minute episode took a god damn hour. I was constantly checking the time because it felt like it should be over. I don’t know why that is. By the end I was intrigued, there’s lots of cool stuff going on. It’s just that the presentation of it all feels… dull? I’m really not sure how to word it, but something about the show is failing to engage me. I’ve been told it is a blazing fast adaptation, that it isn’t a pacing issue. But I just can’t shake the feeling of something being off. Maybe it will change as I watch more, which I definitely want to do.
Potential: 50%

Wooper: Tengoku Daimakyou, or “Heavenly Delusion,” has met the majority of my high expectations after one episode. The art direction is uncommonly good, with climbing vines, rusted fences, and crumbling walls among the piles of evidence that Japan has been through a massive calamity in recent times. The script supports this idea by treating batteries as currency and focusing on resource conservation, along with supplying a loose timeframe of “the Collapse,” which seemingly predates the birth of the series’ two protagonists. Their exploration of this desolate Japan features a lot of proficient animation, as well – from major showcases like Maru’s martial arts expertise to small stuff like Kiru craning her neck to call for her partner, the level of motion on display in Tengoku Daimakyou is a cut above what you’d expect from an average TV anime. But all of these examples come from the show’s primary plot, which is set in the ruinous outside world; everything that happens within its idyllic orphanage (where Kiru and Maru are headed) has neither the intrigue nor visual appeal of what lies beyond its walls. Perhaps its role in the story will heat up if and when the kids start looking for an escape route, rather than just harboring suspicions or hearing directly from adults about the hellish conditions outside the orphanage. Until then, there are enough mysteries surrounding Tengoku’s primary duo to keep me coming back for more.
Potential: 70%

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel – Northern War

Short Synopsis: To protect her hometown from the Erebonian Empire and to distinguish herself from her grandfather’s disloyalty, Lavie enlists in the Northern Jaegers where she’ll do whatever it takes to carry out the mission. Now this rule breaker must form a platoon to embark on a dangerous recon mission into enemy lines—will her mission be a success?

Lenlo: I was really hoping for a bit more… pizzaz from Trails of Cold Steel. After hearing about the videogame from some friends who wouldn’t shut up about it for years, I thought that it would surely be something decent. Right? But like Mario says, it’s about as generic as you would think. Info Dumps and mediocre monsters, lackluster production, there’s just nothing here to really love. So excuse me here at the end of this preview spree if I don’t write anything more then “Don’t”.
Potential: Don’t

Mario: We are at the tail end of this Seasonal Preview. Legend of Heroes is just as generic as its title. It spends all the focus on the settings, but forgets to add characters worth remembering or tell a story worth following at all. The cast includes a female soldier, and two lackeys who spill the information of the world blatantly – even at one point they remark “a kid should know this story”, and then proceeds to infodump us. There’s a hint of an upcoming uprising, but I don’t hold my breath here. The show offers me nothing to care about.
Potential: 0%

Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire

Short Synopsis: Old hero gets reincarnated as a girl, then promptly defeats a giant monster while still in nappies.

Lenlo: Old man reincarnated as a hot girl with all the powers you can ask for. Sure. Maybe if it was playing the whole thing off as a joke rather then having a shot in the OP that explicitly focuses on the female casts tits, telling us exactly what this show is about, it could be fun. But really it’s just the lowest common denominator shlock. Seriously, don’t introduce them as babies and then sexualize them in the OP right away. It feels way to much like grooming.
Potential: 0%

Amun: “I may be a baby, but the power isn’t so bad.” That is no bamboozle, the actual line from the show. There’s an overpowered infant who becomes an overpowered (and slightly bratty) girl. Throw in a duel and a fight with a large monster thing and some cousin love…all while an old man masquerades as his “ideal cute granddaughter” (their words, not mine). I’ll give a few merits for having a slightly unique arrangement of the common isekai components – but that’s really not enough to make a show worth watching. (I must say, “I may be a baby…” was a pretty funny line though, I appreciate that).
Potential: 0%

Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible

Short Synopsis: This schoolboy is so invisible that it’s a sport to spot him (brings you good luck). Fortunately, the girl who sits next to him can find him every time.

Amun: Socially adept girl teases awkward guy – I’ve definitely seen this before…this season even (Nagatoro 2). That’s what I thought going in, but I was pleasantly surprised by Kubo. For starters, it’s not mean. I think the teasing shows can really toe the line between cute and bullying – Kubo is just wholesome. Now, you might get cavities but at least you’re not cringing – I’ll take that trade. Character designs are a little meh, and the animation is passable at best. Personality, not looks for this one. Will it get boring halfway? Probably, but I’m willing to give it a few more. It’s just so heartwarming ^_^

Potential: 61%

Lenlo: What we have here is a “Reverse Komi-san”. Instead of a socially inept girl with an outgoing male love interest, its a socially inept boy with an outgoing female love interest. While this one has a much more active female lead, I can’t help but see it as wish fulfillment for the anime watching quiet weeb crowd and their desire for a cute girl to take an interest in them despite a complete lack of effort in any way on their part. Now Amun is right in that, unlike Nagataro, it’s nor mean about it. There’s no bullying or anything, which is a plus. It’s definitely a much more wholesome choice. But I still can’t say I’m all that interested in another wish-fulfillment romance. Watching this episode felt like it took an hour. After just 5 minutes I was checking my clock wondering how long I had been here. Suffice to say, it’s really not my speed. I can see the quality to it, it seems like a well made wholesome romance. But like Komi-San, it doesn’t feel like a show where anything actually… happens?
Potential: 10%

Continue reading “Winter 2023 Impressions: Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, UniteUp!, Saving 80,000 Gold, Campfire Cooking in Another World” →

The Fire Hunter

Short Synopsis: In a dystopia where people can burn at the slightest touch of fire, a young girl sets out to the capital to return a Fire Hunter’s dog and weapon.

Mario: I sort of see the criticism for The Fire Hunter’s filter that makes it deliberately looks hand-painted and old-schooled than it actually is, but the strength of the rest of the episode is just a step above other Winter season shows. The Fire Hunter places strong emphasis on worldbuilding – to the point sometimes it does overwhelm the characters, but because of that the setting and its customs are well-realized and believable. The central set-up: about the “mythic” fire and how it affects humanity in a profound way can open up to many interesting developments in the future. And for me the production is top-notch. Certainly the cream of the crop here.
Potential: 75%

Lenlo: And so Fire Hunter rises to be my 2nd favorite premier of the season. There’s something beautiful about this world and its characters, their soft spokenness and how light is made to stand out with how dangerous it is. Not much really happened in this first episode, as we spend it largely learning about the world and its inhabitants, but it was presented so effectively that I can’t help but be drawn into it. These expectations could be betrayed, sure. But for now at least, Fire Hunter has excited me.
Potential: 80%

Vinland Saga Season 2

Short Synopsis: Season 2 of Vinland Saga

Lenlo: FARMLAND HYYYYYPE. I’m ready. I’ll admit, it starts very slowly. In fact the majority of the season is going to be slow. If you’re here for viking action, you aren’t going to get a lot of it. If you hadn’t already guessed, this entire season is focused on picking up the pieces after a conflict, and the obvious “War is bad”. What with the whole thing set on a farm, that means there won’t be much action and more of a lot of inner reflection. There’s some! It’s near the end, but it exists. But it won’t be the focus. That said if you’re looking for a deeply emotional character piece about broken people, Vinland Saga S2 is probably going to be the best thing this season. Plus, it actually looks pretty good too. I was concerned a bit after the studio switch, but so far it looks great. Very picturesque.
Potential: 90%

Mario: Well, the change in the studio doesn’t seem to affect the production one bit. It is brave to feature a narrative away from Thorfinn, but having Thorfinn emerging at the end is nothing short of rewarding. In Einar’s story, the show still touches on its usual theme of slavery, revenge, brutality and man’s path choice that even though it has a brand new narrative, the feel is pretty much Vinland Saga-esque. A man who tripped off of his own homeland, of the family he loves, of his own status… there’s certainly a parallel between him and Thorfinn. And the fact that it was the Viking (Thorfinn’s gang) that killed his family will open up more juicy conflicts. I’m certainly keen on its central moral ambiguity: is thriving to survive at all cost, even at the pain of losing everything, worth it?
Potential: 70%

Kaina of the Great Snow Sea

Short Synopsis: A young boy and a princess explore a strange world where a translucent canopy hangs between the branches of grand trees and a sea of snow between their roots.

Lenlo: Kaina has the unlucky predicament of competing with 2 major shows in my mind. The first is Trigun Stampede, the premier CGI show of the season. When put side by side, it’s pretty clear that Kaina simply isn’t as polished. While its backgrounds are stunning and beautiful, the CGI characters are stiff and lack detail, suffering from the kind of stilted animation and acting most CGI anime do. Simply put, I don’t expect Kaina to “wow”, or to even be “good”, in the animation department. For the second, that’s Made in Abyss, where it has to compete in regards to its setting and world design. Here, I actually think Kaina has a shot. The Yggdrasil-like trees with their translucent webbings, people living inside its branches eating large bugs as the world dies around them, the great Snow Sea slowly building higher and higher as none of the snow melts off. It’s beautiful, in a dangerous, fantastical sort of way. As for the story? I’m… curious. More entranced by the world then the “Save my country” plot, but that’s at least enough to get me to watch a few more. Hopefully Kaina is able to come up with a story as engaging as it’s world, because I want to bask in these backgrounds for as long as possible.
Potential: 60%

Mario: I’m always curious about Polygon Pictures studio. It’s a second-tier CG anime studio that was behind Ajin (which I dropped due to the visual) and Kuutei Dragon (which I love). At this point, I consider them having their own brand. It doesn’t look well-polished but you can tell from miles from looking at the arts that this is their stuff. And it brings me to Kaina. The show’s visuals actually look great for their standard, with many striking images: like the one where the titular character walks on the ice/ snow surface. You can credit it for the well-realized background arts and the world-buildings, which for me remains the best asset of the show so far. Moreover, the duo narrative works out in this episode as we see a large contrast in the two worlds, both in how they look and the politics behind it. The premise is strong so far, now we have Kaina the character explores the world underneath and helps the Princess in the process. It might not be the hit shows but if you look for more under-the-radar stuff, Kaina is a great alternative.
Potential: 50%