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Fall 2020 Season Preview

by SuperWooper, posted in Seasonal Previews

Wooper: The arrival of this particular fall season is significant less for the cartoons it’s bringing to our screens, and more as a prelude to the end of this ruinous year. Even for creatures as cloistered as anime fans, pandemics, hurricanes and wildfires easily outrank the new crop of fall series in our general consciousness. Star Crossed hasn’t missed a season preview in years, however, and we’re not about to break our streak now. The all-star sequels like Attack on Titan, Beastars, and Re:Zero S2.5 might not be airing until 2021, but there are still a few shows to look forward to this September. (EDIT: Attack on Titan S4 is now set to premiere on December 7th of this year.) Among them are a nicely-staffed Shounen Jump adaptation, a reboot of an iconic horror anime from the 2000s, and another season of Volleyball Boys, which is always a good thing. You’ll also want to prepare yourself for the appearance of anime’s godliest MC when he returns to television early next month. I’m sure most of you have heard his gospel by now, but if you don’t know which stone-faced power fantasy protag I’m referring to, you’ll have to read on to find out!

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What will you be watching this fall?
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MIDDLING EXPECTATIONS

Taiso Samurai

Studio: MAPPA
Director: Hisatoshi Shimizu
Series composition: Shigeru Murakoshi
Source: Original

Wooper: There’s not a lot of info available about this original gymnastics series, but as our resident sports anime guy, it’s high on my list of things to check out this fall. The synopsis actually makes it sound like MAPPA’s attempt to recreate Yuri on Ice, with a fateful encounter changing the course of a flagging athlete’s career. What makes Taiso Samurai stand out is its setting – the story takes place in 2002, and is set to depict a low point in Japanese gymnastics (presumably making the main character’s turnaround that much more impressive). The other reason I’m interested is the horizontal bar animation on display in the PV. It’s obviously rotoscoped, but that doesn’t disqualify it from looking awesome, much like Hanebado did a couple years back. Of course, Hanebado’s mess of a main character wrecked its chances at a gold medal finish, but Taiso Samurai might fare better with the writer of checks notes Zombie Land Saga on board? Ehh, we’ll see how this one shakes out.

Continue reading “Fall 2020 Season Preview” →

Summer 2020 Summary: Week 8

by SuperMario, posted in Weekly Summary

Mario: Hello everyone, this week I decided to drop Appare Ranman. It did have what I consider its best episode (episode 7) a few weeks back, but I feel no desire to watch any more of the race so I figure it’s best to leave the show on the high note. Wooper is not joining us today, and that means that this week’s content will be mostly overlooked classic stuff – but to my delight they – the classic ones – all deliver (Well, Japan Sinks still sinks deeply). Let’s break it all down:

Japan Sinks – 07

Mario: It’s another uneven episode of Japan Sinks. It raises some interesting issues, naming how the Japanese authority deals with the situation. Saving people based on their national ID in the manner of lottery calls is intriguing, and Japan Sinks isn’t shy about showing the mixed effects of that implication to the citizens. But then along the way we get an unconvincing story of Ayumu refusing to board that ship (hey, her leg’s wound!! Anyone?), of Onodera again using his Morse code to save the day (but his backstory is never quite clear – was he a hostage back in Shan city? Does anyone in that city know about him being Onodera?). Everything happens with the extremist group and the ship of the old man just happens too quickly like a fever dream. And like a fever dream, we’re there to experience and not trying to look any deeper because the whole thing can (literally) fall apart just as quickly.

Aoi Hana – 06/07

Mario: It’s the conclusion of the play and the episode consists of Sugimoto introducing Fumi to her family. It might be two very different episodes, but group it together as we, the viewers, can see another soft and spoiled side of Sugimoto, in which once again the show does it magnificently. When the sisters and mother of Sugimoto enter that room, it strikes me hard that Aoi Hana is at heart a love story about girls/ women written by a woman with an almost-entirely female cast. And within these few scenes all the personalities of the sisters and Mom are clearly defined. It might be extreme but for me you can’t find a more authentic feminine voice than this.

And how Aoi Hana focuses on Sugimoto’s immature, vulnerable side in these two episodes is masterclass. First we see her perfect, carefree facade breaking down when the teacher (her previous crush) compliments her for the play. And then on the next date where she brings Fumi to her home to announce their relationship to her family. That’s a bold (and encouraging) move, but her sisters throw her off immediately. That might be harsh from the sisters, but then again they know how to tick her little sister off and just makes Sugimoto realize how childish she is. There’s a lot going on here. Sugimoto brings Fumi home to announce their relationship and ends up breaking up with her – but in Aoi Hana fashion everything proceeds quietly and soberly. 

And I just love the motifs of Aoi Hana’s characters stroking their (or other’s) hair. It feels as if they express their inner feelings through those gestures. 

Continue reading “Summer 2020 Summary: Week 8” →

Summer 2020 Summary – Week 6-7

by SuperMario, posted in Weekly Summary

Houkago Teibou Nisshi – 07

Wooper: This episode was a reaction face gold mine. As Hina gets more comfortable around her new friends in the Breakwater Club, she’s less cautious about letting her feelings show on her features, which means her hero worship of Oono and disdain for Natsumi have become obvious to everyone. This week’s stories shone a different light on each of those characters, however, poking a hammer-shaped hole in Oono’s athletic image, and revealing the booksmart side of Natsumi’s personality. Though there was nothing visually noteworthy about Hina visiting her friend’s house to study, it was still my favorite of the two halves because of how it treated their friendship. The reveal that Hina had never visited a friend’s house before was thankfully a casual one, but I’m sure she appreciated the chance, and Natsumi’s pre-midterm helpfulness and interest in her friend’s handicraft hobby were really kind. Now that we’ve seen this side of both girls, I’d like to see a softening of their teasing dynamic during club meetings and fishing outings – though I’m sure the relationship will work either way going forward.

Japan Sinks – 06

Mario: This episode wraps up the Shan city arc and ho boy, it’s not great. I see a lot of lost opportunity here in this arc, and I question the roles of many characters here as well. Take Daniel, for example. His placement in this arc feels really odd for me. Is he supposed to be an outsider (his nationality) to signal the Mutoh family about how he has no place to return to? Then why does he fit the living style in Shan city like a glove? And then the cult leader. Are we supposed to take her superpower seriously? What is the meaning behind exploring the cult’s strange activities and worships and then proceed to end it with an earthquake? And then the poor boy who just says that one line before the huge rock falls over his head. I don’t know if we are supposed to feel shock, but there was good comedic timing right there.

Continue reading “Summer 2020 Summary – Week 6-7” →

Fog Hill of Five Elements – Animation Appreciation

by Lenlo, posted in Random Anime Recommendations, Special Articles

Hello everyone and welcome to a rather weird post about a Chinese series you probably haven’t heard of, Fog Hill of Five Elements. Now odds are you have no idea what I am talking about, and I don’t blame you. Not only are subs for this notoriously hard to find, but the ones you do find probably aren’t that good. A Graphic Design Service Subscription does not suffice in finding them. Part of that is just the difficulty of finding Chinese translators, since the Japanese translation scene is well established at this point, but another part is that no one really knows this show exists. And let me tell you, if for no other reason than the animation, the goal of this post is to change that. So lets dive in.

First up, a little about Fog Hill. As far as I can figure, Fog Hill was originally created by Hun Lin in this little 5 minute YouTube video here. Whether he made the whole thing, VA and music and all from scratch himself I have no idea. I don’t even know if Samsara Studio, the animation house behind Fog Hill, is his studio or just one he is working with. Since this is their first project and all the information is in Chinese, as an ignorant American I just don’t know. But what I do know is that 3 years later, in 2020, Fog Hill got a full 8 episode ONA season that is currently being released right now. Directed, Scripted, and Coordinated by Hun Lin, this is clearly a passion project. And even if I can’t understand the words, I can understand hype. And this? This animation is hype.

Continue reading “Fog Hill of Five Elements – Animation Appreciation” →

State of the Season – Summer 2020

by SuperWooper, posted in State of the Season

Armitage: With the entire world slowly returning to order after being kicked in the shin and knocked around in 19 ways, it’s only fitting that we check-in to see that everyone is getting back to their normal lives. Now, since this is an anime blog, our normal is basically watching a crap-ton of anime every season! And even though this summer we got far fewer shows than ever, the dark horses delivered, the sleepers packed a punch and the heavy hitter(s) really knocked the living hell out of a recently married high-school girl wielding a wooden sword. cough cough

But of course, since we’re all different people, we’re bound to have different tastes! Did we too like that one show you feel guilty about watching every week or are most of us not fans of your favorite anime this season?

Read on to find out!

What show are you enjoying that you’re not reviewing?

Wooper: Though I give Houkago Teibou Nisshi shoutouts in our weekly summary posts, it isn’t getting the full blogging treatment, so it gets my vote. If you like cute girls, fishing, relaxing ambiance, or reaction faces, this show may be for you. If you like at least three of those four, this show is definitely for you. It’s one of the better high school club shows I’ve seen recently, and though it won’t go down as many viewers’ favorite anime of the year, it’ll make your Tuesdays a bit happier each week.

Amun: I’d normally say Re:Zero, but since it’s a given that most anime fans are watching that this season – Misfit of Demon King School. It’s so bad. It’s so bad that I’m not even sure I have the name right. But if you enjoyed the sage of technological One True Tatsuya a few seasons back – this kind of (over) power fantasy is right up your alley.

Lenlo: Fujiko Mine, Deca-Dence and Great Pretender.

Armitage: Re:Zero is back and great as ever! So, obviously I have to watch it because you can never have too much death and suffering in life. I am also watching God of Highschool week in, week out. It’s amazing how relaxing this show is for me. I just have to turn off my brain and just like that, half an hour has passed. Take that, lockdowns.

Mario: Deca-Dence and Great Pretender. Since we’re going to talk in detail about the former at the end of this post, I want to give a special mention to Great Pretender. It’s a show that if you think too deeply about some plot twist or plot development then all the pieces can fall apart (like the explosion that kills no one in the first case, yeah!), but its main appeal lies in how entertaining it is. From the fun and smart stories to the bouncing off between the cast to the drop dead gorgeous visual designs, it knows and embodies the “cool” factor. It also gives our cast some outstanding character development; Cynthia’s fierce bids in that auction wouldn’t be that rewarding without knowing her backstory and how she became who she is now. In other words, Great Pretender is cool as fuck.

Continue reading “State of the Season – Summer 2020” →

Summer 2020 Summary: Week 5

by SuperMario, posted in Weekly Summary

Mario: Like I said last week, with this thin season, it’s a good opportunity for me to check out some lost gems – one of those shows that are lost in the sea of forgotten anime. Click down to see what those two shows are. I want to pick up one more so if you have some recommendation you can shout out in the comments. Conditions apply: you can only recommend shows that aren’t considered as “classic”, or maybe better that you recommend the ones you enjoy that need more attention. The older the anime the better. Now, let’s run them down.

Houkago Teibou Nisshi 5-6

Wooper: Another week, another pair of Cute Girls Catching Cute Fish episodes (that’s CGCCF for short). The show has gotten a little louder since the introduction of Kotani-sensei, sponsor for the Breakwater Club, which wasn’t to my tastes. In addition to her duties as club advisor and school nurse, she’s an obnoxious drunk – hence the loudness – but even high volumes levels could ordinarily be forgiven. What’s unforgivable is her regular hijacking of the girls’ seafood snacks, which they catch and fry with their own blood, sweatdrops and tears! Add Natsumi’s regular teasing of Hina to the mix, and there were moments where these episodes grated on me, which isn’t what you want from a slice of life club show. Thankfully, we ended on a nice story where Hina heads out to catch some horse mackerel for her family’s dinner, and learns a few new things after Natsumi tags along. It’s always nice to see noisy anime characters prove their worth as main cast members.

Japan Sinks – 02-05

Mario: I know my fellow Lenlo already gave a full review on this and trashed it like crazy, but if you want a weekly tracking on how Japan Sinks stinks then this column is the perfect chance to do so. And after the first half, I am still pretty much on board with how things progress so far. The event that happens at the end of episode 2 is really a game changer, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. I did find the Shan city segment a bit overlong, and there’s this growing sense of something deeply wrong with this cult town, but I am not sure how the show will deal with it. The same growing sense of something wrong can be said for our characters as well, as Ayumu’s wound is open and no one seems to care. In addition, for a character that appears right at the beginning, Haruo doesn’t really add anything to the table. It remains to be seen how the second half of this will be.

Continue reading “Summer 2020 Summary: Week 5” →

Summer 2020 Summary: Weeks 2-4

by SuperMario, posted in Weekly Summary

Mario: As Wooper noted, our last 9 posts are about 9 different shows, which is something worth cheering for. The rest of the seasonal shows look quite slim, sadly. These shows below either fall apart after the first episode, or not even that interesting to begin with. At this moment I consider following only Appare-Ranman, and in a normal season I wouldn’t give it another chance. If that’s the case, next week I’ll look into some older forgotten anime and give them another try. We will see.

Houkago Teibou Nisshi 2-4

Wooper: After being delayed three months due to the COVID pandemic, Fishing Girls has returned to supply us with half an hour of feel-good angling action each week. “Action” might be a strong word, actually; these episodes have been fairly serene affairs, despite the characters’ colorful personalities. This show is the latest in a recent string of hobby-related anime that have nicely developed their central female relationships. It follows most closely in Yuru Camp’s footsteps, with the same emphasis on pretty backgrounds, rustic soundtrack, and educational content. Several moments thus far have managed to put a smile on my face, from Hina’s promise to catch lots of fish for her dad to eat, to the simple pleasure of eating orange slices on a shopping trip with her clubmates. It’s the diverse instrumentation that gives all these scenes their individual flavors; from ukuleles to marimbas to tin whistles, Houkago Teibou Nisshi plays host to a plethora of playful and soothing sounds. With every episode, the show deepens both Hina’s fishing knowledge and her new friendships in rewarding ways – I’m glad to be watching it this summer.

Kanojo Okarishimasu – 02

Mario: WHAT A PATHETIC MALE LEAD! Are we really supposed to root for this sad sack? He’s so pitiful it’s not even funny anymore.

DROPPED.

Continue reading “Summer 2020 Summary: Weeks 2-4” →

Japan Sinks 2020 Anime Review – 22/100

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Finished Series: Mystery/Suspense, Japan Sinks 2020, Reviews by Lenlo

Masaaki Yuasa is, without a doubt, my favorite director in anime. His 2014 adaptation of Ping Pong the Animation is my favorite anime of all time, while Tatami Galaxy sits at a close 2nd. Among his more recent works, Devilman Crybaby was imperfect but ultimately a visual treat, while Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken is my current anime of the year. The man has a visual style unlike any other, and the works he adapts often resonate with something deeply personal, to put it simply, utterly human. So when I heard he was working on another series, also to be released this year, I was ecstatic. That it was based off of a famed novel from the 70’s and would be his last work as President of Science Saru only fueled this fire. I was expecting something incredible, a rival for Eizouken! Sadly, Japan Sinks was nothing of the sort.

Simply put, Japan Sinks was a complete and utter failure, the likes of which I was not prepared for. There are themes to be found, and moments of Masaaki Yuasa’s usual brilliance to be found. But they are few and far between. The tone is jarring and throughout the whole thing I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to be laughing, crying or just shocked. Japan Sinks is, in a word or two, jarringly inconsistent, questionably paced and poorly timed in regards to current world events. With all of that said, the ending score should come as now surprise, it was an utter failure. But the question remains as to why, why did it fail, why does it not work? So without further ado, let’s talk details, and strap in because this is going to get wordy. Also fair warning this review will contain spoilers for Japan Sinks.

(Disclaimer: I am working to make 50 the new “average”. 70 is not an average score people. 70 is above average. Also apologies for how long this took, motivation was low with this piece.) Continue reading “Japan Sinks 2020 Anime Review – 22/100” →

Some Quick First Impressions: Monster Musume no Oisha-san, Gibiate & Koi to Producer: EVOLxLOVE

by SuperMario, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Monster Musume no Oisha-san

Short Synopsis: Human doctor gets wrapped up in his assistant and then makes a blonde gladiator scream by touching her feet.  Okay, so his assistant is a snake and the gladiator is a centaur.

Amun’s review:

There was a pre-air of this a while ago.  Maybe I’m the only one who thought this was a continuation of the other series named Monster Musume (“Monster, Monster, Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma-Monster”) – but it’s not.  Instead we meet a young human doctor and snake assistant who have to help a centaur.  I guess it’s better than the highschool setting?  What’s weird to me is the character designs seem lower budget.  Original Monster Musume (and for example, the more recent Dropkick Jashin-chan) are obviously labours of love by monster lovers.  MM Oisha-san felt a bit…more bland.  If you’re going to go the demi-human route, go all the way – the way it stands, neither normies nor monster furries are going to watch this.

Potential: 50%

Lenlo’s review:

Are you telling me this isn’t a sequel to Monster Monster? Coulda fooled me. Anyways let’s cut to the chase and be real here, the only reason anyone is watching this is for the monster girl titties. No one cares about the doctor or the plot or any actual story, they want “plot”. And the fact of the matter is Monster Musume is the inferior monster girl titty show this season. If you are going to be a degenerate, then go all the way and watch the Super Philosopher (Uncensored) version of Peter Grill and don’t waste your time with this thinly-veiled soft-core. Hardcore or bust I say! Let your inhibitions run wild, don’t let your dreams be dreams! Scream to the heavens that you want well animated Hentai and you want it now! 

Potential: 0% – Your tits are in another castle.

Gibiate

Short Synopsis: Kathleen-chan, almost a high-school graduate, teams up with the time-travelling duo of a samurai and a ninja to develop the cure for COVID. 

Armitage’s review:

Ah, anime. Many times when my friends who can’t seem to understand how I spend so much time watching anime ask me why I feel so passionately about these ‘cartoons’, I tell them it’s because anime offers something that almost no other visual storytelling medium does: the opportunity for creators to completely BONKERS with their ideas. I mean, just read that synopsis! Where else will you be able to find something like that? We have shapeshifting monsters, teleporting ninjas, a samurai who’s slain a 1000 men yet somehow the protagonist is still a high-schooler. Because, ANIME! Now, as expected, with the studio not being of a very high pedigree, the animation leaves a lot to be desired and the CGI is pretty bad, but in a season as bare as this one, I’d take any attempt at telling a story like this over the many run-of-the-mill Isekai trash we get every season. And even with the lacklustre animation, I have to say the show looks really great. The character designs are stylized and the post-apocalyptic backgrounds are arguably best of the entire season. To top it off, we have a stellar soundtrack. And unless it completely falls apart in later episodes, this will definitely be one to keep an eye on. 

Potential: 75%

Mario’s review:

Well, I approached Gibiate with low low expectation – an anime that aims at an international audience where the creator is a character designer (not director or writer, goddamn character designer) with made-up sounding studio names surely don’t boast any confidence – and got out of it quite pleased with what I just saw. The concept is not terribly original but so far the presentation still holds everything together. The time-travel twist feels like a gimmick though, as so far it just feels so random that these Edo-era samurai would just appear to this post-apocalypse world and they get on with it a bit too well. I believe what grabs me the most in this premiere of Gibiate is the sense of dread of how the virus-infected spreads and causes massive impact to the world. Maybe in the time of Covid and lockdown, this is the closest anime that deals with the same issues we are currently experiencing right now. It might just be me, though.

Potential: 60%

Koi to Producer: EVOLxLOVE

Short Synopsis: Unnamed female character exists in close proximity to four male characters (each with their own names!).

Mario’s review:

Like many otome-game adaptation, Koi to Producer’s first episode concerns too much on this unnamed protagonist encountering these key (literally perfect specimen) characters than telling a coherent story. It has a lot going on at the same time, involving her company is on the verge of shutting down, supernatural incidents happen around her and she tries to bring these boys into her show. Each plot line has the potential but so far the pacing is messy, and the supernatural part is what I’m still unsure about. Are the “evolved” like superheroes and what “abilities” exactly do they have? For a show that has “supernatural power” as their backbone, this first episode doesn’t really do anything to elevate that.

Potential: 20%

Wooper’s review:

Y’all remember when MAPPA first spun off from Madhouse in the early 2010s? Their first few projects had people amped for the future of the studio – think “Trigger saved anime,” but unironically. Propping up two Shinichiro Watanabe projects was a good start, and their double shot of action/adventure series right afterwards (Garo and Bahamut) solidified them as heirs to the Madhouse throne. They even gave us Yuri on Ice and In This Corner of the World within a month of each other in 2016. Those were good years, weren’t they?

Fast forward to the present day, where MAPPA has delivered unto us this turd of an otome game adaptation, whose nameless heroine woos a conquerable bishounen with a bag of potato chips. This happens between the two nearly fatal traffic accidents from which she’s saved by a different, much moodier stud, who’s part of some secret plot to do… something? The story isn’t exactly clear, burdened as it is with senseless sci-fi lingo and levitating bishies. The soundtrack reminds me of Gen IV Pokemon music, which is to say it’s dated as hell (especially the digital organ). The characters move joylessly through sterile environments, which serve primarily as monuments to the suffocated dreams of the artists working on them. The only compliment I can find for Koi to Producer is that it’s not likely to stick around in my memory for long. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Potential: 0%

Some Quick First Impressions: OreGairu S3, Uzaki-chan wa Asobitai, Kanojo Okarishimasu

by SuperWooper, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Oregairu S3

Short Synopsis: Antisocial antihero manages to give all nearby girls/guys feelings. And doesn’t eat his cookies.

Amun’s review:

Five years after the 8-man rode the wave of adolescent antisocial nostalgia, our awkward triangle/trio returns – exactly where we left them. Now – first of all, anyone who says they remember who Saki was either a) just rewatched the series in preparation or b) is lying and just looked it up. It’s been a while. My feeling is this season will be a farewell tour – saying goodbye to characters one by one until the final trio is resolved; we already saw this with Saki and the little sisters. I’m curious what’s going on with the Western formal wear in the OP – there tends to be a main event each season, so that’s probably related. I guess the biggest point of speculation is the ending of the obvious final ship; Yahari, for all its sneering, is too vanilla for a yuri ending, but I could see some BS throple avoidance of a real answer. The just-friends route is still an option too, but that would be lame. I mean, last season’s 8th son managed a proper harem, so maybe this season’s 8-man will do the same.

And so help me, if Hachiman doesn’t eat his damn cookies, I will knock the stupid out of him, making him 4-man.

Potential: 88.888888%

Mario’s review:

It feels rather nostalgic to see OreGairu back on screen, on that very day, as the characters look the same and we’re now 5 years older and wiser. For me, while this premiere doesn’t really establish the arc to come as it concerns more about Hachiman’s everyday life, it displays many of the show’s core qualities, for better or for worse. There’s a mix between light comic moments where the characters make “smart remarks” about the LN tropes – they fire imouto tropes in all cylinders here and overblown drama that grabs your heartstrings – sister takes a bow to send her gratitude to her brother. Really? Individually each part can be grating but OreGairu has that quality of making them affecting nonetheless. The thing I like most about the series, its attention and love to the characters’ little gestures and movements are still there. Hachiman and his little sister has always been one of my favorites so every moment they are together is just gold to me, but I can’t say the same with the Saki and Hachiman’s pair – Saki remains the least memorable character out of this entire cast. It’s lovely to see our awkward boy back with all the girls (and boys), that’s for sure, and I’m in for the ride, wherever it leads me.

Potential: 60%

Uzaki-chan wa Asobitai!

Short Synopsis: Girl manipulates her lazy senpai into having fun.

Armitage’s review:

Let’s just talk about the elephant in the room. YES. THOSE BREASTS ARE UNREALISTICALLY HUGE. Moving on.
I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did. If there was a section in our first impressions for ‘most charming anime of the season’, this would undoubtedly take the cake. Although, it’s facing almost no competition, but still. We have a cheery female MC with a great pair personality and her lazy-ass senpai who just wants to be left alone so he can have his chicken karaage in peace after watching a movie by himself. The chemistry between the two is what instills the charm in this story. It’s a loud, slapstick comedy with plenty of moments capable of earning laughs from the viewers. The production quality is satisfactory and the soundtrack is serviceable. The only caveat I have is the slight over-reliance on well, the boob jokes. But I guess one would know that’d be the case even before pressing play on an episode. If the show can tone those down going forward, then this can easily be a sleeper hit for the season.

Potential: 70%

Wooper’s review:

Here are the two conversation loops that power this dumbass premiere.

#1:
Sakurai: I regret having to spend time with you, but I guess it’s happening anyway.
Uzaki: Yay! By the way, aren’t you, like, kind of a loser? LOL
Sakurai: [visibly frustrated] Listen here, you little shit. My lifestyle is totally normal, and here are some Facts and Logic to prove it.
Uzaki: Naruhodou! You really are the coolest and most logical spiky-haired anime protag in recent times. But for real though, aren’t you still kind of a nerd? XD
Sakurai: [suppresses the hilarious urge to hit a woman]

#2:
Sakurai: I guess spending time with Uzaki isn’t so bad, after all.
Uzaki: [draws attention to herself]
Sakurai: Why are you so annoying?
Uzaki: [has large breasts]
Sakurai: Why are your titties so sugoi dekai? [TL note: “sugoi dekai” means ‘big plan’]

Rinse and repeat.

Potential: 0%

Kanojo, Okarishimasu

Short Synopsis: Loser MC wants to get laid, no matter the cost. Literally.

Armitage’s review:

Now I’ll be honest, I am not a fan of the bland-male-protagonist-hitting-it-up-with-the-gorgeously-perfect-girl-who-is-way-out-of-his-league subgenre of romantic comedies because well, when I am rooting for the guy to get the girl, I want to at least like the guy. Which, in such stories, is rarely the case. Does Ren-Kano fall under the same category? Most definitely it does. The male lead is highly unlikeable, the female MC has the overdone twin-personality trait and if the premiere would have only involved the two of them, I’d have passed on it instantly. But thankfully, this story or at least the premiere does have one saving grace: the supporting cast. Generic loser MC’s parents and grandmother fare much better in terms of likeability and the comedic moments the show churned out of their reactions did genuinely make me laugh. Of course, that by itself is no reason to watch this week by week. None of them may feature extensively in the coming episodes. But still, I’ll give it a couple of episodes to give me something or someone to root for before giving up on it entirely, even though now I don’t think this will become an in-depth look into the escort industry which is kind of what I was hoping for.

Potential: 55%

Lenlo’s review:

Surprisingly wholesome for what is effectively a soft-core escort service. Armitage basically hit the nail on the head, our leading pair are actually the worst, dullest part of the show. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before in rom-coms, and Ren-Kano doesn’t seem to be doing anything different to change it up either. The supporting cast, and all the gags they are involved in, are really the best part. Playing up the grandparents, the father and mother, all of that was the best the episode had to offer. Sadly unlike Armitage, I didn’t enjoy it near as much. My brand of comedy leans more towards gallows humor than this “Your grand-daughter is my fake girlfriend because it keeps you out of the hospital” shtick. Still credit where it’s due, Ren-Kano was actually not mediocre for around 10 minutes of its runtime. So if this is your wheelhouse, I figure you’ll be able to find something to enjoy here.

Potential: 30%