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State of the Season – Winter 2020

by SuperWooper, posted in State of the Season

Wooper: Give yourselves a round of applause for making it to mid-February, everyone! Your reward is our third ever State of the Season post, where our regular contributors talk about which seasonal anime they’re enjoying (and which ones they aren’t). This won’t be quite the hot take bonanza it’s been in seasons past, since Amun’s real life has demanded real attention in 2020 thus far. Mario, Lenlo and I are here to talk about our winter favorites, though – read on to see which writer has the best viewing habits and opinions.

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

Mario: Dorohedoro. It says a lot that after halfway point it still manages to surprise. While it can feel random at times, I’m more eager than ever to see what kind of madness and trippiness and bloodiness Dorohedoro is gonna throw at me next. And I’d take them all with pleasure. Also, Kyokou Suiri with its lengthy dialogues but ultimately enjoyable chemistry between its cast.

Lenlo: Dorohedoro. I almost regret not trying to take it up from Wooper, because this thing is madness. Every week we go a bit further down the rabbit hole, down Dorohedoro’s special brand of insanity, and I love it. I have very little idea what’s going on, but I honestly don’t think that’s very necessary to enjoy the show at a base level. It’s there if you want some silly fun and it’s there if you want something with little bits of info hidden around every interaction.

Wooper: Eizouken, for sure. I love both anime and metacommentary, so a series that deals with the creative process, the intersection of finance and art, and the medium of animation is right up my alley. It doesn’t hurt that the characters have great designs and dialogue, either. No matter what the motion picture club gets up to each week, it’s sure to be informative and entertaining.

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

Winter 2020 Summary: Week 6

by SuperMario, posted in Weekly Summary

Mario: Next week, we will publish our seasonally State of the Season post, so remember to check in. Like Amun, real life stuff has eaten me alive but I still managed to keep up with current shows, and watched the Oscars yesterday. PARASITE wins. Honestly I’m still overwhelmed by that historic fact and honestly this is one of the best decisions Oscar has ever made. Parasite wins, and nothing else really matters anymore. But enough about Parasite and let’s dig in for anime time this week:

Somali to Mori no Kamisama – 05

Mario: Well, this easily is the best episode of Somali so far. The trick here is that the show does shake up its usual formula. I will start with the lesser success first. While the background designs of the various towns and locations the show displays have been its big strength, this episode is the first time it delves into the local custom of the town where Golem and Somali visits, thus making the settings feel lived-in. It also helps that later on when the group passes the forest, there are many fantasy animals (sand whales) that are pure feast in the eyes (albeit they are lacking in animation). But the real winner here is how it adds some urgency to the road trip of our main characters. We have a couple who are intriguing in their relationship (although the way the Harp girl keeps bringing up her love for her human companion gets repetitive at the end), and the fact that they are willing to harm Somali for their own gains. At least they have their own reasons to do so and I can see and understand that.

Rikei ga Koi ni Ochita no de Shoumei Shitemita – 06-07

Wooper: Both of these episodes were pretty meh, but I watched them in time for this post, so I might as well throw my thoughts into the digital abyss. The kissing experiment in episode 6 wasn’t a bad plot – I’ve seen that kind of barebones chemistry test pulled off before, but a show’s ability to do so hinges entirely on its cast. So far, RikeKoi has shown itself to be premise-driven, rather than character-driven, so the story didn’t quite fit. There was one brilliant mix of those two modes on display here, though: Yukimura’s promise to give Himuro “a kiss of the highest theoretical value.” Since the series is all about hot nerds trying to quantify love, that kind of declaration is both a strong relationship builder and a clever fulfillment of the show’s goals. As for episode 7, I found its reworking of fairy tales and folk stories to be its saving grace – everything else was pretty bad. When Himuro gets drunk and acts super lovey-dovey towards Yukimura, we don’t learn anything new about her (since it’s already clear that she likes him). But if the show puts a mathematical spin on stories like Cinderella and Kaguya-hime, that’s worth a chuckle or two.

Continue reading “Winter 2020 Summary: Week 6” →

Winter 2020 Summary: Week 5

by SuperMario, posted in Weekly Summary

Mario: It’s time for another weekly summary. Geez, time sure flies fast. We’re nearly at the midseason already, can you believe that? Seasonal shows this week are… decent, I guess? Often the time this is a low period in seasonal anime, where anime studios rush and try their best to stay in schedule. We have a new show featured this week, and Lenlo is off to play volleyball rather than watching one. Enjoy! 

Oshi ga Budokan Ittekuretara Shinu – 04

Wooper: All this talk about Cham Jam “believing in their fans” and the glorification of unhealthy lifestyles lived in the name of idol appreciation are too much for this normalfriend to handle. I can tolerate sincere otaku fandom in small doses, but OshiBudo puts it front and center. This episode starts with a dramatic flashback to an encounter between Reo (during her time as a filler member of her previous idol group ‘Melty’) and Kumasa, her biggest fan. We’re talking “omit a key line during the conversation so that it can be revealed during the episode’s climactic moment” levels of drama, here. It ends up being a request for her to believe in him, which Reo passes on to Maina so that she’ll believe in her biggest supporter, Eripiyo. Meanwhile, Eripiyo is running herself ragged working three part-time jobs so she can buy dozens of Maina’s CDs and bump her numbers in the group’s popularity poll. That’s right, this week’s plot circles around to a popularity contest where supporting your favorite girl is viewed through an impossibly noble lens. The show still takes the odd dig at its dead broke otaku heroes here and there, but never with enough sharpness to puncture the balloon of idol worship at its core.

Kuutei Dragons – 02

Mario: After one third of the season done, I just remember a little show with no sub in which I enjoyed its premiere, Kuutei Dragon, so I decided to check the second one out, even with the 60 fps fan version (my first experience with 60 fpr and I still don’t get why people do that). Gotta say I still find this show charming. Whereas in Dorohedoro the characters share their chemistry by their love of food, in Kuutei Dragons it has only two things in mind: dragon hunter and dragon cuisine. The quest to enjoy this mystic beast’s meat is strong and it’s fun to watch. I also like its tongue-in-cheek humor and it has the same appeal of The Magnificent Kotobouki last year. I will check out the next episode, and if it proves to be as entertaining as the first two, then I’ll be happy to hop in for the ride.

Continue reading “Winter 2020 Summary: Week 5” →

Winter 2020 Summary – Week 4

by SuperMario, posted in Weekly Summary

Mario: Apologize for posting this Weekly Summary a day late, as I was away last long weekend. Seasonal anime has passed its first 3 weeks now, which means they more or less show their true colors as this point and we writers more or less settle down on shows we will be watching through the rest of the season. 22/7 and OshiBudo have their first appearances in this column, but it remains to be seen whether they can hold our interest. Without further ado, read further to see what we say about them this week:

Haikyuu: To The Top! – Ep 3

Lenlo: Content wise, I think this was a good week for Haikyuu. It was nice to see Hinata figuring out what it is he lacks. Figuring out the smart way to play the game vs his previously purely instinctual methods, then slowly merging the two. He has yet to actually play, yet he is learning just by observing, which is something Hinata hasn’t really done till now. Being more focused on DOING. That said, it still feels like it lacks something visually. That being the sort of crisp visual style of previous seasons. It just sort of feels… flat? Like the spikes lack impact, the color doesn’t pop in places it feels like it should, and sometimes the faces feel off, etc. It’s still good, but coming off of previous Haikyuu seasons it feels a tad underwhelming. Granted, I watched all of those 2 weeks before the season started. So it’s a bit fresher for me than most others.

Oshi ga Budokan Ittekuretara Shinu – 2-3

Wooper: OshiBudo is approaching its central premise with less irony that the first episode led me to expect. Comedy is still a part of the show’s M.O., but the relationship between Eripiyo and Maina is disappointingly straightforward in its use of misunderstandings and unrequited longing. The aftermath of the tanzaku plot, for example, relied just as much on Maina’s love for her number one fan as it did on Eripiyo’s intense approach to idol fandom. That love has been teased as romantic a few times now, and while I think that development could take the show in an interesting direction, it’s probably just bait. There was a more credible bit of yuri between two Cham Jam members in episode 2, so who knows where the show is willing to go? Hopefully it keeps creating humorous setups, no matter what tone it settles on. Eripiyo’s shampoo-related tanzaku flying into view as her “fan letters” were scattered to the wind comes to mind as the comedic bar the show ought to be shooting for. If it continues to skew in a less playful, more sincere direction, though, I don’t know that I’ll make it through the whole cour.
Continue reading “Winter 2020 Summary – Week 4” →

Winter 2020 Summary – Week 3

by SuperMario, posted in Weekly Summary

Mario: Welcome back to our Weekly Summary Column, I am the new host for this season, Mario. After a frantic first impression period, we are getting more stabilize now and starting to settle on our weekly offerings. I still need to catch up with leftovers from last season such as Blade of the Immortals and Babylon (yep, that Whore of Babylon) and maybe some other shows this season like 22/7, but that’ll be for the next post. Enjoy the roundup and tell me which shows you are following this season or even which shows you want us to cover here. We’ll take that into consideration.

ID:INVADED – 2-4

Wooper: ID:Invaded is my pet show of the season (not to be mistaken with my Pet show of the season). It’s not a critical darling like Eizouken or a surprise hit like Somali, but its high-concept procedural story and unconventional character designs have led me to favor it above most of this winter’s offerings. The plot: brilliant detective Sakaido solves his cases by entering the subconscious of serial killers, rendered as fractured, perilous mindscapes which he must navigate to uncover their identities. One of the things I appreciate most about Invaded is that, despite the magnitude of its premise, the characters aren’t swallowed by it. They have existing workplace relationships and personal histories, even if they’re not the focus of the show. Sakaido’s relationships with the more traditional cops and analysts on his team provide a nice foundation for his bloody backstory, which becomes clear in episode 3. After we learn what horrors he’s experienced, the show begins to demonstrate the influence and the existential detachment that comes from diving into people’s unconscious minds. The show is too verbose at times, and not every subconscious world is as interesting or well-designed as the last, but it has me intrigued enough to consider it a priority watch each week.

Somali to Mori no Kamisama – 2

Mario: I consider Somali episode 2 better than the first one (the premiere has a clumsy exposition part that nearly turns me off for good). The second episode has our Golem and Somali meeting other casts, so we both learn more about the world, and see how the chemistry between them all play out. The end of the episode also reveals more about Golem’s health and that adds to some urgency in regards to their journey. Golem and Somali also has a solid relationship where they grow fond of each other. But saying all that, I still can’t fully embrace the show and I do feel it loses its steam even after just 2 episodes. The fact that Somali is human could pose a potential threat given other beings are likely to consume her should they know – and I think the show will go there, but for now, we don’t sense any of that danger anywhere. And I know I just mentioned about the “urgency” but in truth, I don’t feel any sense of “hurry” at all. If I have to put my finger on why I’m still skeptical about the show, I’d say that its formula is too safe and predictable for now that it never full grasp me. Shake things up a bit would do the show better, I reckon.

Continue reading “Winter 2020 Summary – Week 3” →

2019 Anime Awards and Top 10 List

by SuperWooper, posted in Yearly Summaries

Amun: New year, new writers, new website, and a new intro! 2019 saw many changes for Star Crossed, but as long as we have our anime with big eyes, bright colours, and minor epilepsy inducing flashes, everything will be alright! This was the year of sequels: good and bad. Not to worry though, as many smaller projects shone through – with a couple breaking out to become multi-season franchises and promised movies. Now that the year is over, it’s time for the Star Crossed writers to dole out our accolades to the anime that impressed and disappointed us; and we finish off with our collective top ten best of the year. So let’s take a look back at the annoying cat-girls, weird kappas, no longer mysterious Titans – and finish out the decade in style!

 

Worst of the Worst

Worst Show: One Punch Man S2

Lenlo: Some series had worse animation, some had worse story, and some had worse characters, but One Punch Man managed to be consistently terrible in all of them. The production by JC Staff fell woefully short of “acceptable”, the narrative adapted the incomplete setup to an actual arc that mattered, and it butchered some of the series’ best characters. Across the board, this season of One Punch Man was a colossal failure that every member of staff here managed to agree upon. And it only gets worse once you start to consider the legacy of the series. From Murata’s godlike art, to the labor of love that was the first season by Madhouse. There is a reason that, collectively, everyone here hated it.

Runner-up: SARAZANMAI. Star Crossed authors are deeply divided on Sarazanmai, with a vocal minority giving enough negative feedback to propel this to the runner-up spot; the detractors decry the pretentious, “woke” plotline and peculiarities masquerading as “artistic”.

Worst First Episode: Arifureta

Amun: Arifureta had the worst first episode I can remember. The animation was unacceptable for a production level anime – it was actually unacceptable in some places for a PowerPoint presentation. Normally, first episodes are meant to make a good impression by pulling out all the stops up front – quality then tapers down later. Not so here. The tragic part was that I came into Arifureta with reasonably high expectations: White Fox, who knows how to make a fantasy anime (even if I didn’t enjoy Goblin Slayer), helmed the project. The director Kinji Yoshimoto had several decently well known series under his belt (Queens Blade and I Couldn’t Become a Hero). Unfortunately, in a season marked by poor isekai adaptations, Arifureta stood out as the absolute worst. May its namesake award on Star Crossed First Episode Awards serve as a warning to other shows: at least make your first episode decent.

Runner-up: GIRLY AIR FORCE, for hideous production values and a script that set our minds on autopilot.

Continue reading “2019 Anime Awards and Top 10 List” →

Some Quick First Impressions: Kuutei Dragons, ARP Backstage Pass and Plunderer

by SuperMario, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Kuutei Dragons

Short Synopsis: A ship of vagabonds hunts dragon for food and money.

Amun’s review:

This is a terribly hard anime to find, but if you can find it….it’s not really worth your time.  I’m even willing to forgive whoever valiantly tried to sub it, despite having a mastery of neither the English nor Japanese language.  No, the real problem here is the jerky 3D animation and the thinly veiled analogies to whale hunting which don’t really translate well to steampunk/dragon fantasy.  Hopefully the staff will learn enough here to become full fledged animators in their own time – this just isn’t going to be their breakout project. With ironically flat characters (except their thighs for some reason) and subpar visuals, I think everyone can safely pass on this.  

Potential: 10% 

Mario’s review:

Unlike Amun, I can say I have a good tolerance with full CG shows, well… some of them. I can’t be bothered with the new clunky CG in Berserk or Ajin for example (the latter is from the same company of Kuutei Dragon), but I did enjoy shows like The Magnificent Kotobuki last year or Ronja the Robber’s Daughter. So, which spectrum does Kuutei Dragon fall into? I’m happy to report that I enjoy the whole lot of it (well, terrible sub aside). The CG character models look bland, true, but I got used to that very quickly. The CG fares better when it concerns the ship and the dragon models. Add to that, I like the worldbuilding of dragon hunting just for food, like a good mix of whale hunting and the love for delicious food. Its easy humor and tongue-in-cheek nature reminds me a good deal of Magnificent Kotobuki, and if that is the case, I know I am in a good company. Just give me a decent enough subtitles.  

Potential: 50%

 

ARP Backstage Pass

Short Synopsis: A behind-the-scenes look at a male idol group.

Mario’s review:

Right off the bat, the CG live performance stands out like a sore thumb and things only get worse from there. This is apparently based on a real (maybe virtual?) band, and all we see in this episode is a little bit of them in school. It functions more like a promotion for that art school and the ARP director (whatever ARP means) than putting effort to tell any story. To give this show some credit, the dance routine of one team member is surprisingly inspiring, and it is in traditional hand drawn style. When it switches to the CG (especially the after credit where it doesn’t need to be) it becomes soulless. Soulless is pretty much how I’d describe this show.

Potential: Soulless

 

Plunderer

Short Synopsis: A girl walks around in search of the Chosen One.

Mario’s review:

Just like what Amun said back in the season preview, Plunderer is indeed terrible. The concept of a world run by “counts” is not a bad idea, but they mishandle everything else completely. There is not a single likeable character, and the show goes borderline offensive with its sexual harassment jokes and cringe worthy humor. Girls are treated like dirt in this show, especially the main girl who is so dumb that despite living in that world she doesn’t know one bit about the rules – how does she survive until now? Congrats Plunderer, you beat Ishizoku Reviewers as the worst premiere of this season.

Potential: TERRIBLE. HORRIBLE

Some Quick First Impressions: A3! Season Spring & Summer, Dorohedoro and Ishizoku Reviewers

by SuperWooper, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

A3! Season Spring & Summer

Short Synopsis: The acting troupe Mankai Company scrambles to recruit new members to avoid losing their theater.

Amun’s review:

This isn’t really my kind of show. There, uh, was some acting and a reverse harem thing going on. And the guy napping the bulldozer was funny, I guess. Also….no one in this show except for the guy in black can even spell the word “business.” Pretty obvious he’s trying to give all the second chances possible. I also sorta spaced out halfway through to be honest. The shot of jumping over the fence was cool. But yeah, nothing about this even remotely interested me.

Potential: 0%

Wooper’s review:

As far as bishounen series go, this one was okay. The implausibility of the script is perhaps its main issue, as the main characters seem to be able to convince people of things just by speaking in elevated tones. The acting troupe at the center of the story has precisely one member, yet the owner is able to persuade their landlord not to turn this laughably unprofitable theater into a bar. There’s not an ounce of believability to this story, as the landlord is a major prick, plus he’s just watched the troupe perform for a whopping audience of two people (including himself). Nevertheless, our heroes venture into a sparsely populated city that seems built entirely around the theater industry. They recruit two people by 1) being attractive and 2) quoting Shakespeare, and return to show landlord-san what they’ve accomplished – which is virtually nothing. Has anyone in this series heard of a business plan? Did all of their mothers play motivational tapes when they were in the womb? This level of strained optimism makes it impossible to take the show seriously, but hey, let’s give it the same grade as the female idol show from the last post. Gender equality and all that.

Potential: 15%

 

Dorohedoro

Short Synopsis: A crocodile head has a human inside his mouth, and he goes around biting evil sorcerers, who are just trying to fill their evil quotas.

Lenlo’s review:

One of the weirdest things I’ve looked at so far, Dorohedoro had me going “wtf” from the start. Yet, part of that “wtf” has made me curious. Where is this bottled insanity going? Why is there a person inside the lizard? Why does everyone look like they just came off of a 16 year old’s first Punk Metal album design? No idea, but I kind of want to find out. Don’t get me wrong, the CGI is terrible and sticks out like a sore thumb. Dorohedoro is not a good looking show. Not by any stretch. But maybe it can pull a JoJo and keep me interested by sheer absurdity.

Potential: 40%

Amun’s review:

I’ve seen a few shows now that are using 80s/90s retro designs and style. I don’t like it. Also, this slum world just ends up looking dirty and dingy…I guess you can say that’s by design, but it makes the inevitable blood splatters just look overdone. I guess I’m marginally curious where this story goes, but honestly I haven’t seen enough content to keep me going. I guess the worlds and doors are neat, but the characters so far are meant for shock rather than sympathy. This is a pass from me.

Potential: 10%

 

Ishizoku Reviewers

Short Synopsis: This is ecchi. There’s also some kind of story and a hermaphrodite angel.

Mario’s review:

Here comes the trashiest show of this season. A human and an elf make it a mission to bang everything that moves, meet a bi-sexual loli angel and let him/her join the club: reviewing all the red-light district girls they have been sleeping with. Should I say any more? Oh yeah, the fact that the show makes a “hilarious” twist that other species find 50-yo call girl more attractive than old elf? I actually watched the whole thing so that I can inform you to avoid this show like the plague.

Potential: my mind hurts

Amun’s review:

This is atrocious. Like someone actually put significant effort into this. So instead of reviewing this, I want to list some shows that could use a second season, since these animators are clearly misdirected. Kamisama No Memou-chou. Hunter x Hunter. Angel Beats. Literally a brick wall.

Potential: No. Just no. It doesn’t have any.

Some Quick First Impressions: Boku no Tonari ni Ankoku Hakaishin ga Imasu, 22/7, and Kyokou Suiri

by SuperWooper, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Boku no Tonari ni Ankoku Hakaishin ga Imasu

Short Synopsis: An irritable high schooler must deal with a delusional classmate after they’re put into the same study group.

Wooper’s review:

This isn’t the worst premiere I’ve seen so far this season, but it’s certainly the one from which I gleaned the least enjoyment. Shows like number24 and Infinite Dendrogram were, at the very least, so bad that I could amuse myself by criticizing them. “A Destructive God Sits Next to Me,” as this series is titled in English, didn’t make me feel a single thing. Despite its decent production and plentiful reaction faces, it’s somehow less tolerable than last season’s Chuubyou Gekihatsu Boy, which was another show about guys with eighth-grader syndrome. Destructive God’s protagonist is a “normal” guy, but he’s so aggravated by the delusions of his chuuni classmate that watching him becomes a chore. It’s like he doesn’t want to be in his own show, which certainly isn’t a good attitude to give your main character if your goal is audience retention. There’s no story to speak of, unless you count MC-kun experiencing endless frustration at his classmate’s game of pretend. This show has so thoroughly sapped my energy that I can’t be bothered to craft a closing sentence.

Potential: 1%

Lenlo’s review:

Bland. Blaaaaaaaand. BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND. This is the blandest premiere I have seen so far. I just finished watching it, and if you asked me questions about it, I wouldn’t be able to answer them. It’s like your most basic comedy sketch show, with a character that doesn’t want to be on it. And if the character doesn’t want to be on it, why should I want to watch it? Nope, sorry, this gets a solid:

Potential: Bland%

 

22/7

Short Synopsis: Eight girls are summoned to a zoo and informed that they will become idols in a week’s time.

Lenlo’s review:

ALL HAIL THE WALL! AS THE WALL COMMANDS AND SO SHALL IT BE! BRING ME YOUR YOUNG WOMEN WITH LITTLE TO NO MUSICAL TALENT. BRING ME YOUR DAUGHTERS WITH SKIMPY SKIRTS. BRING ME YOUR SHY AND DISILLUSIONED MC’s. THEY SHALL BECOME IDOLS FOR THE WALL. WHY? DO NOT QUESTION THE WALL, IT DEMANDS ENTERTAINMENT. YOU WISH TO WATCH GOOD ANIME? THE WALL DENIES YOUR REQUEST. THERE IS NO ANIME BUT THE WALL AND YOU SHALL ENJOY IT YOU FILTHY PEASANTS. ALL HAIL THE WALL! THE WALL! THE WALL! THE WALL! THE WALL!…

Potential: Wall%

Wooper’s review:

22/7 is the latest in a new breed of idol series from this season, come to inform us that idols “laugh at stupid things, wear frilly outfits, and shake their butts for their customers.” That’s a direct quote from the show’s main character, and it’s not a point of view that’s magically reversed by the episode’s end, either. The lead girl is anxious and lonely, and she only agrees to become an entertainer because she loses her part-time convenience store gig. Why does she lose her job? Because it’s the will of “The Wall” that she become an idol. What is The Wall? It’s an inanimate oracle of sorts, which provides guidance to a fated group of girls from an underground idol training facility. Why was this extravagant subterranean facility built to serve just eight young idols-in-training? Because it’s the will of The Wall that they become idols.

This show is dumb, to be sure, but its skeptical attitude towards its chosen industry is interesting – especially because the eight girls I mentioned earlier are voiced by members of the real-life idol group 22/7. All of their performances are unpolished; a few are believable in their roles, but most of them aren’t. When you factor in its rough art and animation, this show appears to be an easy skip… but something about its bizarre mythology and unconventional leading lady has me curious about where it’s headed.

Potential: 15%

 

Kyokou Suiri

Short Synopsis: Girl who mediates disputes between yokai seeks help from man who ate their flesh as a child.

Amun’s review:

Several seasons ago, I was head over heels for the first episode of a show called Kyoukai no Kanata. It had great visuals, great chemistry, wonderful character designs, the works. I felt it was destined for greatness…when in reality, the pinnacle of the show was an idol routine that ended in a…sliming (yes, that’s a verb). I say all of this to express my reservations on the excellent first episode from Kyoukou Suiri – I will not be tricked again! With a main girl who reminds me the world of Charlotte and a bland, over-powered MC, I must resist my yokai sympathies and temper my expectations for what surely will be another letdown…actually, I’m super hyped, this is AOTS for me, I’m sure of it this time!

Potential: 1000000000%

Mario’s review:

Overall, I enjoyed this episode. It takes a while for the true plot to kick in, but it carries through by a solid chemistry between the two leads. This premiere has long but engaging dialogues, and how their conversations lead into the show’s main themes work well for me. The backstory of the girl being a mediator for weak yokai, for example, is intriguing, but I can’t say I’m that impressed on the boy’s story. Her backstory, in addition, lacks suspense, consider that she was kidnapped and lost her eye and leg in the process. On the production side, Kyoukou Suiri has a pretty solid animation, but I am not at all a fan with its muted color palette. So far, it’s the intriguing themes and the solid character chemistry that serve as main strength to me, and I am happy to recommend it as the one to look out for in this Winter season.

Potential: 60%

Some Quick First Impressions: Runway de Waratte, Rikei ga Koi ni Ochita no de Shoumei shitemita and Oda Cinnamon Nobunaga

by SuperMario, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Runway de Waratte

Short Synopsis: A short high school girl who wants to be a supermodel teams up with her aspiring model design classmate.

Lenlo’s review:

This is a weird one for me. You see, I am typically not the “cute girl anime” sort of person, I often rail against them. Most of the time that’s because they lack any real story or are just fan-service bait. Yet Runway interests me, because for once the girls being absurdly cute is relevant to the story. You can’t be a fashion model without being good looking after all, and it’s a nice excuse to get them in a bunch of different outfits. Meanwhile its also another “Follow your dreams, fuck people who say otherwise” sort of story, and I like those. If I had to say what my major complaint with it all was, it would have to be that it’s moving too fast though. In 1 episode we see Chiyuki go from “It’s impossible I’m too short” to “I’m now a professional and fully contracted model”, with a similar route for her friend. It’s like we setup and blazed past this first hurdle, when I was expecting it to take all season. Going through amateur fashion shows, with the boy making her clothing all the while. Figuring out their style and what works best on her, etc. Instead success is sorta just handed to them on a silver platter 5 minutes from the end and its like… Great, we just skipped an entire seasons worth of possible content to get straight to what could have been a season finale payoff. It feels like a lot of wasted potential. So while I enjoyed it, and I like the concept and the art, though the OST is pretty basic, the writing leaves me worried. All that said, I do want to watch more. So I have to give it a solid score.

Potential: 60%

Mario’s review:

Runway lost me in the first few minutes when it tries too hard to address Chiyuki’s height issues, but thankfully it picks up after that. The main strength is the main girl right now with her outspoken attitude that I find rather refreshing, especially in regards to her situation. The way she dodges the question regarding her dress is gold to me. Wannabe designer-kun personality is not as bold, but he serves well as a foil to Chiyuki, and I’m quite surprised to see the show’s focus on his siblings this early in the game, whom I reckon that we will see more from later on. Also I suspect parts of make Runway so appealing is that it has a clear goal to clear, and clear obstacles for our duo to overcome. Speaking of their chemistry, they handle it in a believable way, and outline their trust for each other. There isn’t a lot of time spent on the actual progress though. After all, I still don’t see why he’s inspired to make that dress for her, or even see him actually making it. Runway seems to head into the right direction, though, so I am fully on board with it.

Potential: 50%

 

Rikei ga Koi ni Ochita no de Shoumei shitemita

Short Synopsis: Two scientists prove love through formulas and science.

Amun’s review:

Rikei ga Koi ni Ochia no de Shoumei shitemita is Dr.Stone meets Kaguya-sama: Love is War.  Which is pretty funny if you find statistics amusing and not terrifying/triggering PTSD.  If higher maths and logical proofs give you a headache, this is not for you. The character setup so far  is the same as Kaguya: two idiots, one straight-man/woman.  I think the obvious pitfall for this show is focusing too much on the experiments/proofs and not enough on the character relationships – literally the main plot point.  For the first episode, I definitely chuckled, but I could see how it might get tedious after a while – pretty much how most discussions of statistics go, actually.

Potential: 50%

Lenlo’s review:

Amun was much more generous in their description of this show than I would have been, but they aren’t entirely wrong. It’s basically just another romcom, but instead of ecchi jokes its science/social ineptitude jokes. If nothing else, that puts it above most romcoms of the last few years. The jokes were novel for the most part and the core conceit something I hadn’t seen before. Still not my style of show, but it looks like a good time for those that enjoy the genre. At the very least I plan to check out the other 2 that were released at the same time to see if it holds up across multiple episodes.

Potential: 40%

 

Oda Cinnamon Nobunaga

Short Synopsis: Oda Nobunaga and other historical figures are pet dogs.

Amun’s review:

Thief Amun, sneaking into another blurb he didn’t sign up for!  I don’t really understand Japanese (anime in particular, but also live-action television) obsession with Oda Nobunaga.  I guess it’s a pretty good story, but it’s been retold more times than the U.S.’s Little Women.  So if you’re a historical buff, you’ll have your own opinions, but I’ll judge Cinnamon aside from that.  Having taken care of Shiba Inu’s myself, I definitely chuckled at this episode. This really isn’t a full anime, but a collection of shorts – but I think that medium fits these simple skits.  Light hearted, not terribly complicated, and plenty for dog-lovers (normal ones NOT furries, like the other THREE, that’s not an exaggeration, THREE shows this season) – Oda Cinnamon Nobunaga is good fun.  Will it get tiresome or keep me interested for the whole season? Who knows! Arf!

Potential: 30%

Lenlo’s review:

I can’t… I don’t know… what? Why? I don’t understand why this exists. Who thought this was a good idea, was something that needed to be animated? It’s just so absurd it took me a good 10 minutes to wrap my head around the fact that this was real. Then after that another 10 minutes to realize the implications of whatever this show could do with its characters. Now on paper, having Oda Nobunaga lead a dog based uprising against the humans could lead to a lot of comedy throughout. Especially as more historical figures are added. On the other hand, its just so fucking stupid and the comedy so out there and one note that I just… I can’t see this going anywhere or doing anything novel for more than like 2 episodes, tops.

Potential: 10%