Category: Other:

Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari

Short Synopsis: an exorcist with a deep hatred for tsukumogami goes to a family of human-spirit hybrid and observes the dynamic.

Amun: I’m very mixed on Monogatari (Malevolent Spirits, not the other one). I’ve liked most anime I’ve seen which involve tsukumogami (inanimate objects being possessed) – Tsugumomo and Tsukumogami Kashimasu come to mind. The action looks decent – nothing to write home about, but it didn’t noticeably hurt. The problem is the cast: so far there’s nothing that interesting here. We have revenge, orphan boy and yokai Mary Sue with a dysfunctional spirit family all in suits. Yawn. I think the “opposites attract” dynamic might be interesting, but the characters have to get better – which they very well might. I think the world is decently interesting, and the obvious big bosses are clearly spelled out. There are definitely some positives, but I’m going to need more for this show to stand out in the crowded field.
Potential: 49%

Mario: Mononogatari sets off on the wrong foot for me, but thankfully the second half makes me want to watch more of it. I wasn’t impressed by the negative color palette during the opening flashback, I was bored with the characters (especially grandpa who keeps touching his beard), and the way Hyoma forcefully exorcizes the tsukumogami is… hamfisted, to say the very least. But then, the episode introduces its premise, and it gets better all because of it. Hyoma’s strong hatred to the tsukumogami is nicely contrasted with the new family. We don’t get to see the main girl that much in the episode, but she does have a presence that can be felt by the way other tsukumogami treat her. The fight between him and one of the household members is delightful. And the premise of him observing this makeshift family and maybe learning a thing or two about trusting the spirits and overcoming his past trauma brings a great deal of potential here. Yes, I am down for more
Potential: 50%

Ayakashi Triangle

Short Synopsis: The ninja cat is a trap to get you to watch. And that’s not the only trap, amirite.

Lenlo: I give you this season’s premier ninja magical girl ecchi show. Is it good? No. Does it have anything going for it at all? No. Are the girls even cute enough to warrant ecchi scenes? No. Is this first impression really short? Yes. There’s just that little to talk about. Don’t watch this show.
Potential: No

Amun: Oh, I thought the cat design looked cool. And I thought the cat turned into the girl. But I was wrong. It’s the guy who turns into the girl. But is still a guy. If you really think about it, it’s kind of a mean premise to keep having people switch genders unintentionally. Japanese herbivores, I guess. What was I talking about? Oh yeah, this isn’t hot garbage – just garbage. I’d take the dog one over this…that’s actually not true. I’d take neither.
Potential: 0V

NieR:Automata Ver. 1.1a

Short Synopsis: Two androids (who have their eyes covered because… fashionable?) encounter a string of mysterious phenomena during their mission.

Mario: I was legitimately looking forward to Nier:Automata adaptation. Its game reputation is up the roof, and the trailer looks decent… too bad that this premiere is such a misfire. Part of the issues I blame is due to the fact that it adapts from a game. It feels at times that we watch some game clips rather than a series. The fight sequences are bombastic but feel far removed from the narrative. And what little narrative is just enough to make me understand that this is the story from the point of views of 2B and 9S. I don’t have much affection for both of them to care about anything happening on-screen, and even then the animation is messy and confusing. It’s definitely my most disappointing episode of the season so far.
Potential: 20%

Lenlo: So I’m going to be painfully honest here, Nier doesn’t look great. Coming off of Trigun, the CGI looks amateurish at best. Meanwhile the 2D 2B (heh) we do get is mostly relegated to pretty explosions and otherwise relatively standard character animation. Suffice to say, it’s definitely not going to be one of the visual power houses of the season like I know some people were hoping. As for the actual story, it’s just the original video games as far as I can tell. It shares those moments of dystopian beauty, of looking at what it means to be human from the external lens of an android, but aside from that there isn’t really a solid central narrative in place. In fact, the only thing I can unequivocally call “great” here is the OST, which considering its lifted directly from the game isn’t even something unique to the anime. All in all, I’m not convinced this is a decent alternative to just playing the Nier Automata video game.
Potential: 20%

Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte

Short Synopsis: Two Otaku become able to communicate with the characters inside a dating sim game and proceed to try to save them from their fate.

Lenlo: You know what… At least this is creative. IF nothing else, Endo and Kobayashi is a cute idea. Rather than being a standard isekai where someone is teleported into their favorite dating sim video game, it’s some Otaku gushing about said game with the characters inside hearing everything they say. Like Amun says, it’s like a dual/reverse Isekai premise where they can interact/pass knowledge back and forth. In a way, it’s like watching 2 separate romance shows at the same time, one inside the dating sim and the other with our two real world Otaku. All the while trying to save a video game character from their prescribed fate. Suffice to say, as someone going into this expecting the bare minimum sort of video game isekai trash, this was a very pleasant surprise.
Potential: A cute idea

Amun: NOW WAIT JUST A MINUTE. This premiere was actually NICE. Sure there wasn’t any eye-watering animation, sure the character designs are fairly standard, sure it’s a pretty set-piece formula, but look here – Endo and Kobayashi Live has me hooked. I came in expecting a watered-down variant of Life as a Villainess, which I enjoyed enough. Instead, Endo and Kobayashi evolves the concept and has something of a dual isekai (kind of a Neverending Story dynamic going on). What’s the secret sauce? The small twists and small sub-stories are what’s going to make or break this show – and I feel very good about what I’ve seen so far. Otome games are NOT my genre of choice, and the pairing with isekai has been hit and miss (For every Life as a Villainess there were several forgettables). The dynamic of the announcers, the game characters themselves, and the as of yet unknown real world character (villain). This is my dark horse in a season of 50 (yes, 50) seasonals. Am I going to be disappointed? Probably, but for now I’m riding high on hopium!
Potential: Dark Hopium Horse of the Season

Handyman Saitou in Another World

Short Synopsis: A handyman is reincarnated in another world and is extremely handy (Like in a normal way, not a pervy way – this season necessitates clarification there)

Lenlo: As you may have guessed by now, I have a soft spot in my heart for Isekai with interesting ideas that actually stick to those ideas. Whether it be the farming life or Handyman Saitou, something where the lead isn’t the overpowered combat lead of the party is appealing to me. They often feel like passion projects where the writer has a specific topic, like farming or home repair, that they care about and since the MC isn’t the combat lead, they generally avoid the wish fulfillment bullshit. They might not be the most exciting thing in the world, but they fill a niche I can appreciate and at least feel different from the standard Isekai fair. That said, Handyman Saitou doesn’t avoid all the pitfalls. It still has levels, set classes, bad sexual jokes, all the usual trappings. In that, it’s a disappointment, even if the other party members are amusing, like a small fairy carrying around a bag of gold. Still, I can’t say I didn’t find it cute nor that I didn’t actually watch it all the way through. That alone is a feat not all of these premiers can boast of. So in that at least, Handyman Saitou gets my tentative seal of approval.
Potential: 35%

Amun: This is really a bunch of short episodes standing on top of each other, wearing a trenchcoat to look like a full seasonal anime. Which is okay, because Handyman doesn’t waste any time jumping right in and letting you fill in the rest. I appreciate that, since this premise isn’t really breaking any new ground: isekai of a professional using modern skills in a medieval (but magical) era). What is different is the execution – Handyman gets a lot done in the short space it has. And does a good job! Some of the shorts don’t make sense right now, but I suspect all the threads will come together. What we can see of the main story’s shape is a light hearted adventure comedy in a party with plenty of strengths, but plenty of weaknesses too. I’d call this “adventure slice of life shorts.” You know what, I’m actually down for a show like that. More, please.
Potential: 60%

The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten

Short Synopsis: Teenage boy befriends school diva by giving her an umbrella on a rainy day, cue romance

Lenlo: Angel Next Door feels like your pretty standard “Hot school idol falls for wish fulfillment loser loner”. They live next door, she’s cold to everyone at school except the compassionate to the MC because they showed her the barest minimum of being a decent human being, they eventually get into a romance while living alone without any parents checking in on their kids at all. It’s about as standard as you can get. That said, it feels pretty competent at it. Not my cup of tea, I don’t have the time to watch something I could get from the last 20 years of piled up anime. If this is your genre though, the kind of thing you love and binge, then I think Angel Next Door will be right up your alley. I know of at least one friend who loves it because this sort of romance is the exact thing they love to watch after a day of work.
Potential: 30%

Amun: Angel Next Door was a weird premiere for me. It felt almost like a timepiece, back from the early 2000s when Key was king and anime eyes stayed a little too far apart. Maybe it’s just all the use of the word “Tenshi”, which has kind of fallen out of fashion. I don’t know – I looked it up and the light novel isn’t that old, so maybe it’s just a bit of nostalgia. Anyways, this show certainly didn’t start off with a bang – and honestly, the premise is pretty believable. Anyone who has had an apartment friend who kindly helps them navigate living on their own can understand this dynamic (thinking back to college – much obliged, apartment friends!). Japan is pretty crazy in that high school kids live on their own (and are such herbivores that the population is somehow still shrinking), so the setting works. The characters themselves are a little wooden, but I think that’s the point. I would lump this in with Higehiro or Shachiku-san (the little ghost one) as a “slice of home life” – which is kind of a refreshing rest from this hectic season. I’ll watch some more of this.
Potential: 60%

GIANT BEASTS OF ARS

Short Synopsis: A girl who just escapes prison teams up with a knight who lost his will of living to fight giant monsters.

Mario: “It’s great to see a hard fantasy once in a while in this medium” was what I thought when watching Ars, until we saw a girl who says nothing but “nyan” (she sings an entire song with “nya”, that’s hardcore) and my hope was crushed. Putting that aside, this first episode has no shortage of ambition, but at the end of the day the sum is somehow less than its parts. We tick a lot of checkpoints in terms explaining its world-buildings, its main characters and the mysterious monsters. Both Twenty-Two and Jiro have their own motivations and the fact that they team up at the end marks a new beginning of their relationship, although they are not that interesting individually. Even if the story stumbles in places, I don’t mind spending more time in this world and see how these characters develop their own payhs from here.
Potential: 40%

Lenlo: I really wasn’t enthused with Ars. The giant beast concept, the opening scene, that stuff was fine. A bit too anime for me with the glowing hair, ending sentences in “nya” and shit, I’d really rather fantasy series try to break from that mold a bit, but it’s not a huge deal. No, what pushed me away was the shift in focus from giant monsters and their slayers to a loli saving the world from a conquering empire plot. It’s fine if that’s what you’re looking for I suppose. The monsters seem well realized, and I like how serious the power difference between them and the monsters is. Makes them feel like actual threats. I just don’t see the show itself going anywhere particularly interesting. It’s a shame, because I’m down for Jiro and Twenty Two. I’m curious about where their relationship will go, and I’m probably going to keep watching it for a bit before I drop it. I’m just not… hooked as of yet.
Potential: 35%

Farming Life in Another World

Short Synopsis: A boy reincarnated to another world devotes his life to farming.

Lenlo: Farming Life was… surprisingly chill. As of this first episode there’s no demon king, no great mission, not even some OP power that could be easily twisted into combat. I mean sure, the lead is OP in that they can farm and build shit really well. But Farming Life spent so much time on the actual building methods, like finding a well, making a toilet, building a fence, slotting wood together, etc etc, that I feel like it might actually commit to its premise. It’s still not my speed, not really my show. But I can respect it’s commitment to actually teaching people about farming techniques and just using the trappings of the Isekai genre to fast forward that Civilization style, ala Dr. Stone. It’s done enough that I’ll watch a few more episodes to see if it really does stick to this Civilization style, or if it becomes like all other Isekai and pulls out a demon king at some point.
Potential: 45%

Mario: While I appreciate the fact the “Farming Life” focuses on… you know, a farming life in this first episode, it’s a show where I can safely say that it isn’t for me. The episode portrays the section that I enjoy the most out of the isekai genre – the beginning stage where our Potato-kun starts with almost nothing and climbs his way up from there. Well, with almost nothing. Because it brings up my main aversion to the isekai-genre: he’s already OP as heck. He acquires an ultimate farming tool which he can use anytime without losing stamina, and can transform into any other farming tools he likes. It’s still very much a wish-fulfillment where someone can start afresh in a new life with an advantage. Add to that, we have a teaser in the beginning where he’s surrounded by cute girls (with different races, of course), a maid, loyal dogs and a Master title. Sigh. I’m outta here.
Potential: 10%

TRIGUN STAMPEDE

Short Synopsis: A journalist duo captures and investigates a wanted dude that looks like a member of K-Pop band.

Lenlo: I was really worried about this new Trigun. The new designs seemed wildly out of character and the CGI didn’t seem all that great when the first PVs came out. But I can now happily report that Trigun is freaking great. Don’t get me wrong, I still absolutely hate Vash’s new design, he looks like a member of a K-Pop band. But Orange nailed his personality, really dialing in on the contradiction of his skill vs his pacifism. On top of that, this is easily one of the most expressive shows of the season. Tsurune may have polished beauty locked down, leading to a show where any screencap could be a background, but Trigun easily beats it, and everything else that’s aired so far, in its movement. A lot of shows’ characters tend to stand around while one is talking/moving in a scene, focusing only on the most important one. But here it feels like they never stop moving. Every scene, every emotion, shows on their face and in their body language. I love it. Trigun, as of the first episode at least, is my Anime of the Season.
Potential: 80%

Mario: I’m a new Trigun watcher here, and it’s the main reason I signed up on reviewing its premiere since I can judge it without the bias of the original classic. With that in mind, I did have a bias when it comes to Orange studio, arguably the best CG Anime studio around. On the production front, it looks fantastic. The backgrounds are filled with colorful yet detailed designs, the characters are expressive in their motions and facial expressions and the action scenes are spectacular. The story, however, can feel a bit too much at times. In a span of 20 minutes we do learn a great deal about Vash: his flashback, his contradiction in his infamous reputation and his appearance, his skills… but sadly we learn very little about his companions: Meryl (Streeps) and Roberto (De Niro). The climax also trades realistic betrayal to cartoonish expressions, which I’m 50-50 at the moment. The cartoonish hijink fits the “go bigger and louder” approach we see at the end, but I myself ain’t keen on the bombastic approach. It’s certainly one of the highlights of the season so far, all things considered.
Potential: 60%

Buddy Daddies

Short Synopsis: Two hiremen kills people for money and adopts / raise a girl on the side.

Mario: It’s hard not to compare this to Spy x Family, a show that just ended a mere weeks ago and was one of the most popular shows of 2022. It runs on basically the same premise, but for its own sake I’ll try not to compare them in this review. What do I feel after the credit rolls? It’s a bit too much melted cheese on top. I was pretty much in board with it, up until the little girl shows up. Before that, we can see the rough edges of both our main duo, Kazuki and Rei (especially on the former). They have opposing personalities but do feel like they improve each other, and on top of that, moments like Kazuki abandoning the cat and then later on visiting it to give food say a lot about his character. It’s nothing deep but it’s a nice little character moment that held shedding a light to the inner psyche of the characters. Visually, it looks neat as well with some nice set-pieces. But the moment the girl enters the screen, Buddy Daddies encounters some issues. First, the overall sweetness of her underwhelms (rather than strengthen) the roughness the two mains established before. We do learn that she tries to find her dad, whom she has never met before. There’s a hint of sadness there but the episode goes instead on the hijinks and makes her more of a cinnamon roll that our mains have to protect. It doesn’t help that the second half has many glaring plot holes as well. Most notable of all: why doesn’t the girl recognize her own Mother (the wife of the target? We have a picture of them together). I don’t deny that I had fun watching it, but I will see in later episodes whether it can overcome its issues.
Potential: 50%

Lenlo: Having just finished my SpyXFamily review, I feel like I should go back and give it a higher score, because Buddy Daddies is making me appreciate just how tight that show actually was. It’s not that Buddy Daddies is bad, it actually has a few things going for it I quite like. It seems to take the leads jobs much more seriously, with them actually out killing people, stealing stuff, and generally leading actual double lives. On top of that, the leads seem to have a lot more chemistry going on. Like they are together because they actually need/like each other, not because of some hackneyed plot device. Should they actually get together as a couple while raising this kid, I’d be really interested in the kind of stuff they can pull off. Am I sold on the show? Not at all. But I’m definitely intrigued about this alternative take on “Deadly parents adopt a child”.
Potential: 50%

My Life as Inukai-san’s Dog

Short Synopsis: A young man is reincarnated as a dog and adopted by his childhood crush, who proceeds to sexually molest said dog.

Lenlo: Inukai-san is only slightly more tasteful than Onimai, the other premier ecchi of the season. Don’t take that as a compliment, it isn’t, it’s closer to a lighter insult. And the only reason I think that is because Inukai, deep down past the ecchi and bestiality, might have something to say about loneliness and dependence. Not much. This is still a show where a girl gets excited from a dogs tail brushing her vagina. But it’s sort of there. Maybe. If you squint. Don’t squint too hard though, then they will think you are looking.
Potential: 2 dogfuckers out of 10

Mario: Ahh I found a show that is even more garbage than Onimai, which is astonishing in its own way. If you are keen to witness the downfall of the anime industry, with only 10 minutes to spare, then Inukai will give you pleasure.
Potential: “My sex life as a dog (and it’s not that bad)” ver 6.9

The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World

Short Synopsis: A legendary sorcerer falls in battle only to be reborn as a young man and sent to a magical highschool he is far too overpowered for.

Lenlo: Generic school based magical fantasy series with an incel overpowered protagonist, class system culture putting them at the bottom of the social hierarchy for no good reason, and arbitrary ranks to set up power scaling say what? Look if you want a braindead magic show with generic as hell designs and plot, this is for you. Personally though, I wouldn’t waste your time. There are just better fantasy fantasy series. Better isekai series. Better magic series. Don’t watch this. It’s mediocre.
Potential: 0%

Amun: First thing I noticed is the subpar character designs. I think it’s the skin texture – it’s so bland. Then the rest of the episode happened. And it was awful. Although I’m the resident isekai/fantasy enjoyer….skip this. Like seriously, if someone told me this was the first AI generated anime, I’d believe it. Humanity is still superior! The machines won’t win this round! If this was made by humans…my apologies, but the machines might have you beat here. What was I talking about? Oh yeah, don’t watch this.
Potential: 0%

Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka IV

Short Synopsis: Silver haired wonderboy and half naked elf fall deep into a chalky world with lots of monsters.

Amun: I think I’ll be covering DanMachi IV as a weekly (probably bi-weekly) post, but I figured while I’m here in first episodes, I’ll put my two cents in here. The last half of this season ended less than ideally, and we’re right back in it with….not much happening. The CG twin headed dragon got better this episode, but it’s still not great. There’s some questionable service of beat-up Ryuu and Bell – and not much else going on. I did like the party fighting the floor boss – there were some good moments, but the animation felt a bit lacking at times. I’ve always said DanMachi does a superb job of disguising subpar animation (usually with two stationary animations used in conjunction), and this episode showcases some new twists on that. No matter what, this doesn’t look like it’ll be DanMachi’s best season….or likely its worst. I do feel very apprehensive that there will be lots of sad flashbacks with Ryuu: I’m not looking forward to that. Although there’s a small memory of a conversation with Ais at the episode’s beginning, this is pretty clearly a Ryuu centered arc. So I’m strapping in for a necessary season, but probably not a terribly enjoyable one. Hopefully I’m wrong – in a good way! Just the prevalence of CG and remembered sadness doesn’t have me feeling terribly hopeful. I’m definitely watching it anyway.
Potential: Needs more Ais

Tensei Oujo to Tensai Reijou no Mahou Kakumei

Short Synopsis: Genius cute princesses get up to hijinks and there’s some larger plot or something.

Amun: I don’t 100% know what I just watched…all I know is there’s going to be yuri. And honestly, this wasn’t the worst yuri bait ever – the heroic entrance through the glass was pretty great. After that…I just don’t really know what to expect. I guess this is technically an isekai (which is an extremely lazy explanation for the heroine’s inspiration to fly and obsession with brooms). Is this a magic show? Political drama? Love story? Action-Comedy? No idea, and probably a bit of all of the above. Tensei Oujo looked pretty good and had decent pacing (despite the dramatic dance disengagement dragging on dreadfully). This looks like a show not quite sure of its identity and off on a bit of an adventure – while it sounds grand in theory, these kinds of shows normally get muddled in the middle before trying to tie out at the end. Still worth a few more episodes though – if even just for that crash landing scene. Lol, that was pretty great.
Potential: 50%

Mario: This premiere awfully functions as a prologue, given that after it ends I still have no clue what direction it will take from there (maybe going up as the two take flight at the end?). Instead, the episode spends more time exploring our two main girl leads: the princess Anisphia and Euphyllia and so far that’s a success. Both the girls ooze with personality – Anisphia is fearless, impulsive and tends to break the rules, whereas Euphyllia is serious and collected. The episode conclusion “a girl who loves magic but magic doesn’t love her back and a noble girl who was born with everything but had nothing” nicely sum up their situations and the fate to come. Tensei Oujo isn’t without its issues, however. The isekai’s element is shaky at the moment (the show is better off without its isekai-tag for all I care) and the Princess’s proposal to take Euphyllia at the end still feels pretty weird – not out of queerness but because they had zero connection beforehand. Well, at the very least, this episode convinces me to check out some more.
Potential: 40%

Sugar Apple Fairy Tale

Short Synopsis: On her way to the Capital to pursue her sugar art, a girl buys off a Fairy slave to protect her during the trip.

Mario: It’s amusing that before coming to this show, I had no real expectation for it. Upon watching it, I was nicely surprised on the road it took, in more ways than one. The elephant of the room here remains its treatment and view of slavery. No, I’m not here to pass our moral judgment of slavery, so I’ll be brief on this. The show has its stance on the issues – showing the abuse to the fairies by their owners, and Anne’s own moral view. It’s great the way the show eventually challenges her own point of view (be friends with the slave?), and how she realizes that there is more to the issues that meet the eyes. Her realization upon witnessing him killing other people like a killing machine nicely wraps up the episode. Apart from the show’s main duo tension, Sugar Apple makes the most out of its designs. Both the fairy’s design, especially their wings, and the background designs, are full of details and characteristics. The characters, especially Anne and Shall, are two-dimensional and I’m up to see the chemistry between them. The only thing I am a bit afraid of is the romance bait. Not to say there is anything wrong with romance, but I believe the characters and their tension are strong enough that you don’t really need romance factor in this equation at all.
Potential: 50%

Lenlo: Like Farming Life, Sugar Apple Fairy Tale seems good at what it wants to be but not my speed. It reminds me in a lot of ways of Spice and Wolf actually, with a young human traveling with an ancient fantastical creature. It remains to be seen if their relationship will be as good as Holo and Lawrence, but the fact that the comparison came to me at all is a good sign I think. Beyond that the action wasn’t bad, and Shall seems like a much more forceful partner, giving me hope that he at least will push their relationship forward. My big hope though is that Sugar Apple will actually dive into the sugar/candy craft a bit, and allow our lead girl to actually learn and practice the trade. If it can do that while keeping the two together and progressing their relationship, I think this could be a really good time.
Potential: 50%

Spy Classroom

Short Synopsis: It’s a classroom. Of Spies. Who are girls. And apparently not very good at spying. Think Princess Principal meets Assasination Classroom (the ones who were bad at it).

Mario: It’s an interesting premise that does feel like a proud child between Assasination Classroom and Princess Principal. There are some nice setups – the girls are not the best but are the worst students, and the teacher is so skillful but teaches poorly… but overall I feel that something is missing in this episode, and that it doesn’t flow well at all. Take, for example, Klaus’ motivation for picking these girls. Some might say that he scouts them thoroughly and picks them specifically for the mission, all I see is that he just doesn’t give a damn. In the second half the episode focuses only on Lily and Klaus one-upping another, and that brings a fair share of goodies and baddies as well. The bad news is that it occasionally trades logic for “sounding smart” (she who can withstand toxic, is she Poison Ivy??) and the tones are all over the place. The good news is that it does make both Lily and Klaus a more interesting lead to follow along. With all that said, I am still curious so I might tag along to find out more.
Potential: 40%

Amun: You know, I did the comp with Princess Principal and Assasination Classroom, but I’m feeling a bit more Talentless Nana-san after all. And you know what, those are all pretty good shows. Is Spy Classroom? Well…that remains to be seen. For starters, I really like the trend towards having strong characters with obvious flaws – and a genius at everything but teaching is worth seeing. My issues start with the rest of the class. It’s pretty clear we’re going to have an attempted assassination of the week, culminating in a team mission that succeeds despite all the odds. That’s fine – my problem is that this is a rather large cast (7 girls, I think?) That’s over half a season of just introductions…and I’m not sure I’ll last that long. Despite that, this was a pretty decent start – I think the twist was pretty obvious, but there was a fine line between a klutz and a psychopath here that was navigated quite deftly. So I don’t know – will this exceed expectations or just fade into an oversaturated season? Odds are on the latter, but I’ll give it a few more episodes to see.
Potential: 30%

Tomo-chan is a Girl!

Short Synopsis: Tomo Aizawa is an athletic tomboy trying to get her childhood friend and crush, Junichirou Kubota, to see her as a girl and not another one of the guys.

Lenlo: It’s time! The season has begun! And first up is… Tomo-Chan. Gonna be honest, this doesn’t look that good. Visually it’s alright, some nice colors and direction. But it’s nothing too special, nothing that’s really going to elevate the material. And boy does that material need elevating. It’s not a good sign when every single relationship in the show is better than your leading couple. Junichiro and Gundo, Tomo and Misaki, Gundo and Tanabe, the list goes on. I enjoyed their interactions far more than I did the actual leads, Tomo and Junichiro. In fact the only thing those two have going for them is that Junichiro appears well aware that Tomo is a girl and is purposefully denying/pushing back on it, likely because he himself is afraid of a committed relationship. If Tomo-Chan actually dials in on that and gives him a reason to say no beyond “To stupid to notice she’s a girl”, then maybe there’s some potential here.
Potential: 30%

Amun: I guess I didn’t hate Tomo-chan, but I can’t say I loved it. This feels very much like a lesser Shikkimori-san, which was decent enough, but certainly not worth formula copying. Tomo-chan is more in the vein of “shout until it’s funny”…or well, punch until it’s funny. Like Leno says, the supporting cast has some potential – and the hints that Jun is actually not as dumb as he looks are pretty much all that’s keeping me going. Gundo is pretty funny though; I did love the whiplash of the poor duo – I guess some of the comedy did land after all. I just need a bit more from the titular Tomo-chan to make this worthwhile.
Potential: 40%

Revenger

Short Synopsis: A samurai teams up with a special organization to clear his name and take down the local gang boss.

Mario: Overall it was a solid premiere. True to Urobuchi’s brand, the episode features a protagonist whose ideals and honor are crushed and destroyed. Sounds familiar, right? The episode lays out some neat choreography and music, so on the production side it is a delight. From a writing point of view, so far it establishes well the main characters, namely Kurima and Usui, and I certainly want to see more of them. It doesn’t shy away from the violence (a plus for me. There are some creative killing methods there), but at the same time it’s also on the verge of melodramatic and heavy-handed. So far, that isn’t a big turn off but I really hope it doesn’t rely on that later on.
Potential: 60%

Lenlo: You know, I really wasn’t expecting much from Revenger. I thought it was just going to be another Pretty Boy Samurai Show. You know what I’m talking about, the ones where every character has a shtick and a different hair color. And to an extent, it is still that! There are 5 pretty boys fitting different archetypes that each fight differently. But what I wasn’t expecting was the sheer brutality of the show, nor the legitimate tragedy that is the lead’s backstory/motivation. One leads me to believe Revenger will have a far more adult style to it moving forward, rather than the generally safe style these kinds of shows usually do. Meanwhile the other gives me hope that there may be an actual story here to enjoy. Only time will tell if it can live up to these hopes, but it’s done enough to make me want to actually watch and find out more.
Potential: 50%

Tsurune – The Linking Shot –

Short Synopsis: The 2nd season of Tsurune, Kyoto Animation’s premier “Handsome Boys Doing Handsome Things” show.

Lenlo: Jesus Christ it’s just so goddamn pretty. Say what you want about the story, personally I actually quite like Tsurune’s portrayal of the sport and the connections built within it, however I know it isn’t for everyone. But you can’t deny just how good Tsurune looks and sounds. I wouldn’t be surprised if it ended up being the most solid production of the season. That said, it’s the 2nd season of a 5 year old show. At this point you probably know if it’s up your alley or not. If you want to watch a character drama about pretty boys shooting arrows, give it a shot. Go try the 1st season. I know I was pleasantly surprised by it and you might be too.
Potential: 50%

ONIMAI: I’m Now Your Sister!

Short Synopsis: A shut in is turned into a loli, ecchi bullshit ensues.

Lenlo: You know how the anime community has this reputation in conservative circles for being filled with pedophiles and sexual deviants? Onimai, and shows like it, is why. This show is pure ecchi trash, and I can’t find it in me to respect anyone who not only watches this but likes it. I wanted to quit 5 seconds after the OP started, but I kept watching for you. And let me tell you… It’s not good. Just don’t watch it. Please.
Potential: Am I going to prison for watching this? Will you?

Mario: Thank you Lenlo for the passionate vote of disapproval. Let me fill in by dissecting it objectively. Yes, Onimai is a dumpster fire. Its leering at the underaged body, although not explicitly showing anything, is deeply uncomfortable. But even if you bypass that, the fact that the brother was manipulated by his sister without his consent (and at one point we see her hiding a spy camera) is troublesome. The main themes of the show are about 1) the expectation from the roles one’s supposed to perform and 2) what it feels like to be born with a different body. As such, I can feel it resonates on some levels if they can pool these issues effectively – which I highly doubt the show can pull off. Onimai’s mind seem to be occupied by Mahiro’s new found body and having Mahiro actually accepting his fate. No boy, just no.
Potential: “Bottomsley” – as in, the bottom of anime’s hell pit.

TECHNOROID: OVERMIND

Short Synopsis: Androids form a boyband to prevent their power, and thus their lives, from being shut off. Except it’s nowhere near as dark as that kind of existential crisis should be.

Lenlo: So let me get this straight, Overmind is about… hot android boy bands competing to be the top hot android boyband in a tower named after the myth of the Tower of Babel? I’ll be honest, I’m not feeling anything at all from this. As far as idol premises go its one of the more unique ones, but that doesn’t exactly make it good. It’s just an excuse to get 4 generic, color coded male designs on a CGI stage singing music composed by committee. Not a winner I’m afraid.
Potential: 0%

Mario: In all disguises of futurist settings, Babylon’s tower (that gives me a strong Hunter x Hunter’s arena vibe), and androids that occasionally have their heads dropped off when bumping to each other (such flawed designs if you ask me), Technoroid (maybe I should capitalize the name but I haven’t the heart to do it) is an idol show at heart. As such, it has all the trappings of an idol show: awkward CG live performances, hot boys and girls with color-code and zero personality, rival bands that might or might not be an avatar for some real-life bands… to be fair, Technoroid is more ambitious than that. Throughout the first episode, the band tries solving a kid’s grieving issues as well, and in the process learns about emotions and… singing together in live performances. Yeah, you read it right. For all of its ambitious settings and trying to break away from idol’s simple formula, the show sadly hampers itself by its silliness of “why do we need to sing together” or “why we need to pay pills for electricity” bits. It’s clear that they don’t take themselves so seriously, so why do we?
Potential: 0%

Ningen Fushin: Adventurers Who Don’t Believe in Humanity Will Save the World

Short Synopsis: A band of Isekai misfits form an adventuring party.

Mario: Welcome to 2023 with – of course, the most cash-cowed genre in the anime world at the moment – an isekai offering. I will start off with a positive, Ningen Fushin has an amusing concept: a bunch of distrust members form an unlikely group and eventually save the world. In the right hand, this premise could turn into something affecting (they all go through traumatic events), or a satire in the same vein of Konosuba that pokes fun at its characters and the isekai tropes. Sadly, Ningen Fushin is destined to be mediocre. First, the mash-up elements between RPG fantasy and modern day idols are jarring (and only makes sense from an otaku’s point of view). Second, the episode tries to cram so much backstories from multiple characters that it has little room to breathe. Moreover, in order to give the characters a solid cynicism, it walks on many troublesome tropes that I am not keen of: a false rape acusation, an asshole partner who will turn the table at a flick of a finger… Ningen Fushin isn’t bad per se (we’ve seen worse), it’s just bland and average.
Potential: 20%

Lenlo: I’ve found the first generic isekai of the season. The idea is interesting enough I suppose. Rather than a single loser MC with a grudge against his original party, we have 4. Each one of the core party members has a chip on their shoulder from some past life event. If they had a decent enough personality, some kind of interplay, then I could get into it. Watching some misfits who really don’t belong together create a family is nice! But I just don’t have any faith in Ningen Fushin to be able to do that.
Potential: 5%

Bungou Stray Dogs Season 4

Short Synopsis: Various (loosely based) literary characters, headlined by Osamu Dazai, try to outwit (or outshoot) each other.

Amun: Let’s be honest: Bungou Stray Dogs is a B-tier show that just keeps getting renewed – and I love it. This season is starting off with a flashback on the founding of the detective agency, featuring Yukichi Fukuzawa (the Armed Detective Agency President) and Ranpo Edogawa (the actual detective of the detective agency). I remember there were throwaway lines about how the Armed Detective Agency was created as a home for Ranpo, and it seems this is exploring that. I don’t know much about the President, so it’s interesting to take a look – Ranpo has always been a pretty flat character to me (think Sherlock Holmes), so seeing him as a little kid is kind of fun. Also VERY interesting to see the President having serious parallels (cell phone, assassin background) to Kyoka Izumi, who he later brings into the fold. I bet this flashback arc lasts half a season, like others have in the past, but it’s still a nice twist on what can become a set-piece show. The noir aesthetics aren’t half bad either (especially considering this is a pretty flashy show). Of course, Bungou Stray Dogs always thinks itself overly clever when it’s really just entertaining, but four seasons in, this should come as no surprise. Good start to the season!
Potential: 75%

The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague

Short Synopsis: A rom-com between a stoic girl and her colleague, Weiss brother AKA Ice-Man.

Mario: Despite the cold title, the episode is much warmer than you might expect. It’s cute to see both characters slowly get to know each other and support one another in small ways, the real issue I have with it so far is that it is a bit monotone. We get to see Ice Guy blushing and bringing snow to the office multiple times and as a result it gets pale at the end. The show leans hard on the romance side as well. I don’t mean it as a negative aspect, but by focusing on this couple, the show doesn’t give enough spotlight to other members of the cast (well, except the cat). The visual is on a conservative side. It doesn’t look bad but it doesn’t excite me either. I can see myself returning to this series from time to time for the coziness, but don’t expect it to be a hit this season.
Potential: 30%

Lenlo: I’m very much in the same boat as Mario here. Ice Guy seems like a very calm, low-key sort of office romance. In a lot of ways I can appreciate that. I like romances involving young adults capable of having conversations and slowly getting to know each other more than I do highschool over reactionary crushes. In that sense, Ice Guy is right up my alley. However, just as Mario says, its visuals leave a lot to be desired and the characters themselves, while fitting the “chill” themes, have very little emotional range. I realize I was just complaining about over reactions, but there’s such as thing as not enough of a reaction. It doesn’t have to be huge, subtle moments are generally stronger. But I feel like we didn’t get much of either here. Maybe I’ll warm up (heh) to Ice Guy after an episode or two. But as far as first impressions go, I’m not feeling very passionate.
Potential: 20%