Some Quick First Impressions: Comic Girls, Megalo Box and Saredo Tsumibito wa Ryuu to Odoru

Comic Girls

Short Synopsis: A timid high school girl moves into a dorm for manga artists and makes new friends.

Wooper’s review

I wasn’t expecting much from this series, given its moeblobby promotional art and studio Nexus’ small portfolio, but this premiere was charming in some spots. Our pink haired protagonist spends most of this episode in various states of panic, so Comic Girls takes frequent trips into her overactive imagination, turning her into quite a sympathetic character in the process. She’s not especially creative or talented, but I found myself rooting for her all the same (probably because she’s small and cute). Despite her constant freakouts, the show maintains a playful air for much of its first half – check out the multitude of sunny exterior shots that combat Kaos-chan’s gloomy mood, or the soothing guitar/marimba/accordion trio that plays around the five minute mark. It’s the stuff that came later that took the wind out of my sails – the conversations between manga artists at the dorm didn’t have a speck of originality to them. Topics included obsession with senpai, breast sizes, and ganbare-ing until you just can’t ganbarou no more. The line, “You think I’m cool? Even though my boobs are small?” is uttered here, probably not for the first time in anime history, but certainly for the first time in a show that had me kind of interested. After a while, the overwhelmingly positive vibe between the four girls wore thin, and my attention was lost. If CGDCT is your favorite genre, I’d give this one a look, but otherwise, don’t bother.

Potential: 20%

Mario’s review

Just like Saredo show down there, I’m on the fence on whether I will give those shows some more episodes. With Comic Girls, it’s a cute-girls dose of this season, this time with them being an aspiring mangaka. Although this one doesn’t offer much for viewers outside of its intended market, I enjoy the self-awareness of the characters in Comic Girls. Most of the humor comes from its ability to poke fun of the mangaka life, like how many of them don’t have any real friend, and that Kaos theatre gags nail it on the playful and imaginative of a girl who makes drawing as her living. These other girls have some nice quirks and they bounce off each other well but that’s all about it. Don’t expect them to grow or anything since this type of show focuses more on laid-back atmosphere than any meaningful development. One thing this show does have some edge though, is there is a potential of yuri elements here. Overall, this is a mild and inoffensive offering with some playful (but totally unrealistic) depiction of mangaka life, so for those who into cute-girl shows, this one is a solid recommendation, otherwise you won’t see much point here.

Potential: 30%

 

Megalo Box

Short Synopsis: an underground illegal boxer is ordered to throwing matches.

Lenlo’s Review:

Finally, an anime with style. Megalo Box reminds me the likes of Cowboy Bebop or the original Ashita no Joe, but more modern. The rough and unclean lines give it this aged feel. While there are a lot of still shots that look eh at best, in motion I love it. The lack of smooth, clean lines, mean the animators don’t have to clean it up as much so I am expecting some beautiful boxing, ala Hajime no Ippo. Especially as, from the short match we got in this episode, the fights follow a rhythm. Just look at the shot of Ghetto Hachiya beating on Junk Dog, the rhythm of his fists striking our lead was great. Combined with the, so far, stellar music tracks and I just love everything about Megalo Box. So long as it keeps the story small, a personal grudge match kind of thing, then I think Megalo Box will flourish. Just, please, don’t get too complicated. Don’t try to be a big world affecting story. You don’t need it, Megalo Box.

Potential: 90%

Mario’s review
I admit that I wasn’t too optimistic about this show before it’s airing. Boxing isn’t my favorite (anime) sports and the promotional arts feature a character with cyborg parts completely turned me off. Thankfully, this premiere explains its world well, and gives us an underdog character worth spending time for. Who doesn’t love an underdog boxer to take the trophy, right? Its premise is what I consider straight-forward but right to the point. Junk Dog is going to participate in that mega-boxing tournament and I sure am on board to see this through to the end. It helps that Megalo Box has a distinct retro visual flair, with gritty lines and those bumping musical beats that engrave so well with its gritty, washout world. Junk Dog is the right kind of protagonist for this show and so far, his character is complex enough for us to root for him and so far, the production and animation are both excellent. It has been quite a while (I can’t recall the last good one on top of my head) but finally, a sport series that can be a highlight of a season.

Potential: 75%

 

Saredo Tsumibito wa Ryuu to Odoru

Short Synopsis: dragon hunters hunt dragons.

Lenlo’s Review:

If Megalo Box in a word is style, Dances with the Dragons would be tedious. It’s filled with techno-magic-babble, meaningless fights with no stakes and a generic “magic knight” concept. It’s like every terrible fantasy anime trope rolled into one. Stupidly long character names, no real magic system. In a world with machines and knowledge of Planck’s and Nuclear Energy, we are given screaming men with big swords and flashy lights who clearly have an edgy attitude problem. There is nothing memorable in Dances with the Dragons, with even the magic coming off like what we have seen in every other generic fantasy anime. The fact that the MC is a proper adult is a pleasant change of pace, they have a life and relationships. But that is about all it has going for it. I have seen people call it the “LN version of Berserk” and that its fans “can’t believe it got an adaptation” because it’s so dark. But so far Dances with the Dragons just feels like a “2edgy4you” generic fantasy series that I don’t expect to go anywhere interesting.

Potential: 5%

Mario’s review

Saredo’s first episode feels too busy with setting up many plot threads that the whole thing is an incoherent mess. On the one side, we have this duo who both love to step on each other’s mouth but somehow realize that they’re invincible together. On another side, there’s a whole conspiracy thing going on that for now it’s hard to figure out what’s all the deal is about; and then there is a string of murders going on. The magic and fight parts are by far my least interested elements. I do like the fact that this world contains of many characters from other races, like the glassed dude’s girlfriend is apparently an elf, and its world-building is intriguing enough to develop some interesting scenarios here, serious mature ones to boot. Not to say I am fond with these two leads but I can tolerate them for a while longer. I will stick with it for another episode just to see the clear picture regarding where it will head. Otherwise, if you’re not already a fan of its LN or you aren’t a hardcore fantasy action buff, then you might just skip it.

Potential: 20%

Some Quick First Impressions: Gundam Build Divers, 3D Kanojo Real Girl and Tada-kun wa Koi wo Shinai

Gundam Build Divers

Short Synopsis: Some kids buy some Gunpla figures to play with in a virtual reality game

Aidan’s review

Once upon a time there was a show called Gundam which was made with the intent to sell toys but the animators decided to make a serious story about war, hence kickstarting it’s legacy. Now in the future, a Gundam show takes that legacy and uses it to sell toys. We have gone full circle here people. Anyway as for the show itself it’s basically one big advertisement for Gunpla models that happens to have some rather well animated mecha battle scenes. Storywise though this is about a bunch of kids taking a virtual reality game way too damn seriously. No stakes and it looks like it’s just gonna be about this kid becoming the best Gunpla pilot, like no one ever was.

Potential: 0%

 

Mario’s review

Words can’t even describe how little I care about this Gunpla universe. This first episode plays like some promotional material for Gunpla, as a consequence there’s little to no identity regarding the show itself. Characters have little personality besides “Gundam models are A-mazing” and the only real story this show has so far involve the mysterious amnesiac girl that somehow I thought she was muted (despite have some talking lines now that I recall it), just to show how forgettable all those characters are. It’s a kiddie show so I’m not going to be harsh on it, but it still remains a forgettable kiddie show at best.

Potential: 0%

 

3D Kanojo Real Girl

Short Synopsis: An otaku boy falls for a girl after they clean a pool together.

Aidan’s review

Yeah, this really isn’t for me. The developments are just contrived and the romance is forced as best. Boy isn’t it romantic when the guy you ask out rejects you in front of the class and then proceeds to stalk you after school? We had several situations that broke suspension of disbelief completely for the sole purpose of making one of them look good in front of the other in order to sell that their relationship was “Real” Thing is that examining all there intereacts I don’t see these two having anything in common or a drop of chemistry. I can’t even imagine what these two would talk about when the relationship drama dies down. But of course it won’t die down because this is shoujo and here someone will always have something to get their knickers in a twist over. Some may get something out of this but honestly a better romance anime is coming.

Potential: 0%

 

Mario’s review

This is a story of a boy meets girl and through many trials and tests they come to like each other. Happy ending. Except that this show wanted to be a realistic portrayal of nerdy otaku who find love in real life and boy, “realistic” is never in its DNA. First, the boy is a pitiful mess, not because he’s a nerd with weird hobby, but because he holes up into his shell and blames others for making him feel that way. The show, in its defense, understands that but it overplays that insecurity too many times within this first episode. They make it worse by making side characters act like true asshole to bring up that point. A boy physically abuses Iroha at school because he thinks she’s a slut? An ex-classmate meets the main character after many years and her first reaction was: “You’re still gross!”. Or later the event at the bookstore when Iroha reacts to the shoplift accusation by… undressing herself. It’s a ham-fisted way of storytelling that I just feel every development is so contrived. The main leads at the end have some good bonding (hence the 10%) but even with the girl, I don’t find her character that much appealing so there’s little in this show that makes me want to watch more here.

Potential: 10%

 

Tada-kun wa Koi wo Shinai

Short Synopsis: A teenage boy continually runs into a pretty foreign girl around town, and eventually brings her to his family’s coffee shop.

Wooper’s review

This is another romcom from the same studio and director that did Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun in 2014. While that show was more focused on the “com” part of the genre, though, Tada-kun will probably be heading deeper into “rom” territory – at least, that’s the route I’d take, since I don’t find it the least bit funny. The humor in this show mostly comes from its characters acting wacky, like the craaazy gaijin girl who’s constantly getting lost, or the flamboyant best friend who thinks he’s God’s gift to women. That would be fine, except that there’s nothing comical about the situations depicted in the show, which are just a series of coincidental meetups between the two leads. Think back to the premise of Nozaki-kun: a girl tries to confess her love for a boy (who is secretly a shoujo manga artist), but he mistakes her confession as an offer to work as his assistant. Even if you think that’s the dumbest idea on earth, there is at least a potential for comedy there. In Tada-kun, there’s nothing of the sort, unless you count the hints that Teresa is of royal descent. Even that idea would be more appropriate in a romance than a comedy, though, so let’s hope the show gets there eventually.

Potential: 30%

 

Mario’s review

An original anime from the team behind Nozaki-kun should tell us a bit on what to expect about this show. As it turns out, Tada-kun’s premiere has its fair shares of ups and downs. On the good side, the blonde lead girl – which might or might not be a princess of little unknown Europe country which is “Larsenburg” (my sub), and I really hope the show trolls us there – comes off as quirky charming (chief among them is her passion about a Japanese TV drama: Rainbow Shogun, which brings me many good laugh) and she sure brightens the screen with her presence here. She and the male lead also share some moderate chemistry and I can see the romance between them has some potential to grow. I also enjoy the visual timing of Tada-kun, in addition. My favorite visual gags from this show, for example, is how Terasa miraculously appears on the male lead’s camera multiple times. The titular male lead, on the opposite side of good, is rather bland and feel much like an self-insert type protagonist. It could benefit the show if they spend some times instead fleshing out him before he met Teresa. Moreover, I have a mixed feeling regarding the supporting cast. His male friend, Mitsuyoshi with his over the top antics was so off-putting that he could be a make-or-break point for me. The same can be said for that Nyanko Big cat (geez, he’s annoying) and the plot so far is generic and fairly routine (the leads happen to run into each other too many times, they happen to live close together, she happens to be a transfer student who study on the same class. NO). I will continue watching it as the parts I enjoyed, I did really enjoy, so I hope the show just tone down all the unnecessary and tonal-whiplash antics from certain supporting cast.

Potential: 50%

Junji Ito Collection Anime Review – 40/100

In the realm of manga there is a man whose name is inescapable when the genre of horror is brought up. That man is Junji Ito and his work is considered legendary for its artistic detail, mastery of manga paneling and it’s outlandish imaginative concepts. Up till now his work has yet to have an adaptation that fits his legacy despite a number of attempts to do so. And now with completion of the Junji Ito Collection anime I can sadly say that fact still remains. This animes greatest failing is the lack of effort to truly adaption Junji Ito’s work to animation with the animation being bare bones to truly awful and the art not even coming close to his iconic style. This anime at least can be watchable due to the creativeness of the material but having passable animation, voice acting and music isn’t a good enough trade for the quality of the source itself.

The stories all have a problem with endings where many of them just cut off abruptly and move on to the next tale without much breathing room. Few have conclusive ends to the story being told and can feel like they were cut off in the middle of the tale. Some stories also are questionable choices with the main examples being the Souichi stories when are more black comedy than horror and stick out awkwardly when compared to the other content. The horror stories themselves fail to be scary though some do have some disturbing ideas while others prove to be far too silly to be taken seriously. Otherwise Ito’s general weakness with characterisation can have people acting in awkward or idiotic ways.

Horror anime is unfortunately a rarity and it was a solemn hope of mine that this could be something special despite skepticism. Sadly be it due to staff or studio there felt like no real heart put into this production. A meer attempt to cash in on the legacy of some who puts tremendous effort and time into his craft. A man that deserved better than this.The soundtrack has no notable tracks, the opening is a questionable rock song and the presentation weakens the content that while not making a terrible show, unfortunately turns it into a mediocre one. I do not recommend this be your first introduction to the works of Junji Ito and this isn’t really an anime worth watching, nor remembering.

Some Quick First Impressions: Legend of the Galactic Heroes – Die Neue These, Mahou Shoujo Ore and Captain Tsubasa (2018)

Legend of the Galactic Heroes – Die Neue These

Short Synopsis: A young upstart General overturns a space battle to his favor

Aidan’s review
Comparing this to its older OVA predecessor I actually find this a very strong start to the series. With the old series I only truly got engaged with the third episode while the space battle that took up the first two episodes failed to grip me. It could be my foreknowledge but the presentation in this new series worked better due to focusing on only one side of the conflict instead of jumping between the two. Besides minor elements this is looking to be a pretty faithful adaptation which isn’t rushing the source material and I am actually gaining some hope for this series. Only flaws I found is a rather intrusive piano theme in the middle of the episode which I hope they don’t overuse and that some of the character designs still throw me off a bit. kircheis just looks so strange to me. I am still a bit wary and feel that won’t go away until episode three or beyond but so far I would consider this something worth keeping an eye on this season.
Potential: 80%

Mario’s review
Unlike Aidan, I’m a complete LoGH novice here so I can offer my thoughts without any prior knowledge from the original. I was inherently worried that this show might turn out like last year’s Kino Journey, a reboot that look prettier but with much less impact. This episode sets a nice hook that not only underline the tactical aspect of this space opera, but also set up the great rivalry between Reinhard and Yang Wen Li, both of them proved to be smart, awesome and ambitious. If you’re looking for an action show or a pure sci-fi show, you’d end up disappointed because the closest thing this show reminds me of is watching two talented person playing chess. As far as I concern, this is a great start for what would be an epic battle, but there are some issues remain. First, the updated part, the CG animation doesn’t do a good job at animating the characters (they look on par in battleships, though), as I feel the animation for the parts with human involved pretty wonky. And second, with only 12 episodes how the hell this new show can fully adapt the scope of this epic war? Only time can tell I suppose.
Potential: 80%

 

Mahou Shoujo Ore

Short Synopsis: A girl is scouted to become a magical boy

Aidan’s review
Here’s how to come up with the idea of this show. Write a standard magical girl synopsis, then use find and replace to switch words with more outlandish counterparts. Then sit back and pray people find it funny. Unfortunately this kind of comedy isn’t really my thing and only gets less funny when animated as everything seems to follow a Boke and Tsukkomi routine. The meta jokes are just trying too damn hard and the references are the kind that would go over most viewers heads. I can see it maybe being a guilty pleasure for some but it’s pretty poor as a parody, satire and a comedy.
Potential: 0%

Mario’s review
There is a difference between good and mediocre satire. A good satire not only makes the twist fresh and unpredictable, it also addresses the issues behind the subject they are making fun of (for a good example you can check out the premiere of Osomatsu-san few years back). Mahou Shoujo Ore does neither of these. While I can see where those jokes (especially the meta-joke in the beginning) come from, the jokes are fairly predictable and the show is more happy just to twist around mahou shoujo’s genre tropes than have any concrete thing to say. What is the significance behind turning them in a boy for example? Why idols again? Jokes without substance like this get dull fast and I find myself bored watching this. It doesn’t help that the production is below par and the characters all have paper-thin personalities. Stay far out from this.
Potential: 0%

 

Captain Tsubasa (2018)

Short Synopsis: A soccer prodigy moves to a new town and challenges the local hotshot goalkeeper to a match.

Aidan’s review
This is a throwback in more ways than one with the series being nearly forty years old and the general writing of the show. But it seems that David production have not only done a throwback with adapting such and old property but even animating it like one too. There are an abundance of animation saving techniques in this one with the abundance of still shots and event the return of anime speed lines. To some it may be a charm point but to me it just looks like a slightly cleaner version of a 80’s anime. The events of the show go to ridiculously levels with a goalkeeper deflecting javelins and a kid somehow surviving getting hit by a truck because it was cushioned by a soccer ball? I say this one is for fans of the original or those feeling rather nostalgic.
Potential: 10%

Wooper’s review
It’s reboot o’clock once again, this time for the 1980s franchise Captain Tsubasa. Though Gegege no Kitarou is the older of the two series, Tsubasa’s legacy far surpasses it, having developed a worldwide following since it burst onto the scene 30-some years ago. Even professional soccer players have credited Captain Tsubasa with kindling their childhood interest in the sport, so it can scarcely be imagined how many other kids it inspired. With that in mind, it doesn’t seem appropriate to nitpick the show too harshly. Something I will note, however, is the inclusion of bombastic sound effects by David Production, which you’d assume were from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure if you had your eyes closed. I wonder whether those bassy, bone-crunching noises will be attractive to young soccer enthusiasts, rather than manchildren hopped up on caffeine and Transformers films. Some of the directorial tricks from JoJo (most notably a speaking character’s translucent face imposed on top of a still shot) make an appearance here too, but they aren’t nearly as distracting. On balance, the show doesn’t look or sound very good, and there are moments of utter nonsense sprinkled throughout its first episode. But it’s about a boy who loves soccer more than anything in the world, and for some viewers, that’s all it needs to be.
Potential: 25%

Some Quick First Impressions: Gegege no Kitarou (2018), Uma Musume – Pretty Derby and Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi

Gegege no Kitarou (2018)

Short Synopsis: A young girl enlists the help of a youkai expert to cure her city’s Vampire Tree epidemic.

Aidan’s review

Not particularly special in its own right but I found this show to be decently enjoyable and far more comprehensible than its manga counterpart. Its biggest flaw is that it suffers from the Seinfeld is unfunny trope. Namely that everything done here has been done again and done better. Making this show as standard as you can get. I also could never truly get into shows about Youkai as I find the concept of them to be too silly to take seriously. So far it’s decently fun to watch but I feel it will lose a lot of its appeal once the nostalgia peels off and you are left with an episodic run of the mill show with nothing to offer.

Potential: 20%

Wooper’s review

Gegege no Kitarou is a franchise that dates all the way back to the 1960s, and it certainly shows its age in this newest reboot. Despite the focus on cell phones as a way of modernizing the series (the episode opens with a Youtuber ignoring traffic while filming himself, then turning into a cursed tree in the middle of an intersection), the whole production feels bog standard. There are bullies who pick on the weird kid who believes in youkai, a main character who uses special attacks (several involving his hair or finger guns) to defeat evil spirits, and a monster of the week format that contains not a whiff of a larger story. If you’ve been watching anime for any length of time, you’ve probably seen all of this before. There’s a cliffhanger at the end of the episode that I won’t spoil in case you’re a Kitarou devotee, but if you’re not, this incarnation of the franchise is unlikely to convert you.

Potential: 10%

 

Uma Musume – Pretty Derby

Short Synopsis: Our sparkly-eyed main character attends a horse race, a horse idol concert, and a school for other horse girls.

Mario’s review

Aussie culture has a strong and proud tradition when it comes to horse-racing. Let’s just say we’re crazy about horse racing and even I am not a proactive guy when it comes to the sport, the atmosphere of dozen of horses preparing to kick off always makes my heart pouncing. And that was the only aspect I remotely like in Uma Musume (oh, and the names. Since you’re horse girl, you’re allowed to have some crazy names like Special Week and Vodka and in case you don’t know: these girls are modelled after real racing horses). First, I still can’t comprehend why the heck they include idols part into the show, the one that clearly feel out of place. Then, the only male character in this first episode is badly portrayed that he leaves a bad taste in the mouth. And somehow our innocent girl falls for it??? The settings doesn’t have anything special enough to stand out and the main lead girl can get to your nerve at any time. I have zero interest between her yet-to-come chemistry with Silence Suzuka or anyone else in her team. Which actually can be appropriate since all I can do now regarding this show is fall silent.

Potential: 10%

Wooper’s review

Within the first five minutes of this premiere, a man with a ridiculous haircut and a lollipop in his mouth sneaked behind our main character and started massaging her legs, commenting on what a perfect horse girl she was. Embarrassed and violated, she kicked him in the head and he flew backwards ten feet or so, knocked unconscious by the force of the blow. When she trotted over and asked whether he was still alive, I was struck by the realization that a handful of people must die from getting kicked by horses each year. This was the show’s big chance to sell me on the concept of horse girls. If Ponytail McMolester would just stay down for the count, I’d swallow every other contrived, pandering bit of bullshit this script had to offer. The seconds wore on, and he still wasn’t getting up. P.A. Works was just moments away from becoming the most subversive studio of the season. Please just kill this useless character, I prayed, and rescue your godawful production from the growing trash heap of instantly forgettable 2010s TV anime!

Then he sprang into a standing position, apparently uninjured, and started wiggling his fingers and eyeing her boobs. Generic character designs, ass shots, and an idol concert followed. Don’t watch this series if you value your time or life.

Potential: Horse shit/10

 

Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi

Short Synopsis: A woman who can see spirits finds a job in another realm to avoid marrying a mask-wearing ogre.

Mario’s review

I figure you’d call this a Mahoutsukai no Yome that set in the world settings of Spirited Away, although I admit that if you put it that way then this show just looks pale in comparision. It’s simply on a lower caliber here. The main girl experienced a childhood just like Chise, albeit without the self-hatred. Just like Mahoutsukai the romance part gives a lot of head-scratching development and it is easily my least favorite part of the show. That oni master is just… unbearable from his character design to his attitude. We have quite a strong female lead this time, which I’m glad and the concept of her finding job in an inn of the spirit world has some potential, although towards the end it comes to the light food-porn that generally turn me away. The world building of this spirit world is another part that the show done well so far, with the world is vivid and different from the normal world in the first few minutes. Not a fan at all of the character designs, however, and the romance saga including the “selling off my sweet granddaughter” subplot will need to some serious improvement to get me hooked again. Overall not a bad start, but I don’t see myself coming back for it.

Potential: 30%

Wooper’s review

How many anime have there been where the main character “can see things that other people can’t?” What percentage of those have given their protagonists tragic backstories because of their abilities? And what percentage of those have included a sexy love interest who wants to marry the protagonist right off the bat? We’re still talking about thirty or forty series, I’d wager, and this must be one of the cheapest attempts at telling this ultra-specific story. The unlucky girl in this particular yarn was sold to a bishounen ogre (or, to use the technical term, bishogre) to pay off her grandfather’s gambling debt, but she negotiates her way into a cooking job at an otherworldly inn instead. Here’s where I’d typically say that the usual assortment of youkai made their appearance, but the majority of the spirits in this show are human-looking, with only a mask or horns or a pair of fox ears to distinguish them from each other. What’s worse, the tracks that play behind the characters’ conversations are somehow such boilerplate throwaways that they stand out like sore thumbs. There’s just a general lack of care to be found in every aspect of this episode, which doesn’t bode well for the next 25. If you want to watch something similar, but with improved visuals and more personality, try Kamisama Hajimemashita instead.

Potential: 0%

A Reflection: Ode to the other Mom in 3-gatsu no Lion

3-gatsu no Lion has just finished its 2nd season (on that notes, rest assured that Wooper will cover it till the end of this season and I’ll chime in to give a full post). After Burnt Field mini-arc – which was a solid arc by all means – it came rather natural that the last few episodes focus more on low-key drama instead of focus on another arc. All the better in my opinions since these last episodes elevate Hinata as one of the best girl on Earth and one side chapter that hit me hard on a personal level. So much that despite my laptop is currently broken and I still have two full reviews to write (that’ll come, I promise), I just wanna let this all out first. Keep in mind this is not a review, nor does this reflection piece have any point to make; just merely what I feel about it.

Consider how the second season ends in a satisfying note, I was quite surprised the show follows very closely to the manga’s structure, with only one chapter was adapted out of its order, and that chapter was “Other Home”, and for me it’s probably the best choice that Shaft made. Other Home sheds some more light to the crippled relationships and between him and the family members and the breakdown of the family. The trick here is the shift of perspective. This chapter gives a voice to the voiceless member of the his foster family. Damnit it’s such a brilliant character study in display here. The first notion that really grabs me personally is how this family represents accurately the family dynamic of Asian culture (East Asia to be more specific), so much so that it reminds me a great deal of my own and the one that the more I grow apart from it, the more I can look at it with different perspective. We have a Father who decides the best method to teach his own kids how to face their problem is to smirk “haha” and does nothing. We have a Wife who does housework everyday, stands there in the kitchen making dinner and wait for her husband and kids come home, even without anyone contact her. We have a Mother who constantly blames herself for raising her kids the wrong way, as if the way they turn out HAS ANYTHING TO DO with the way she raises them. And we have the only one member that tries her best to hold everything together since everyone else just stuck up in their own little worlds.

The framing device is pretty on point as well. We don’t hear any conversation between her and Rei, as if their conversation is just merely a facade, the mask that both of them put on. Throughout the chapter we rarely see her face, we see mostly behind her back, when she’s busy doing housework. Those motifs match with the way she smiles, and all the formal lines she about to say, but holds back. Here they sit, opposite to each other, afraid to look at each other’s eyes, and words come out their mouth are pointless. The home that never feels like a home. And it certainly shreds my heart when I realize that the only member Rei feels like his real family is their old dog.

And that comes to another brilliant part of this chapter, the chemistry (or the lack thereof) between Rei and her. I am always find one of the most intriguing relationship is the one like this. The one that always rely on other factors to work, and then when you pull these factors out of the equation, what’s left between them? From her perspective, her husband just agrees to bring another boy to live as a family, so what she’d do best is to support him. Then she sees her own children crumbled right before her eyes because of the presence of that boy, and the family keeps falling apart beyond her hands. Underneath all that she knows it all and she knows that Rei understands it too. What kind of emotions and what kind of behaviour will she act when she meets Rei alone, then? I love it that she has a dream that night that Rei were her own child. That maybe the closest distance that she ever regards him to be.

Yuru Camp (Winter 2018) Review – 74/100

I admit that I underestimated Yuru Camp back in its first few episodes. I took it as a standard, run-on-the-mill slice of life show and I fully expected to give it 3 episodes at max before throwing it into the deep sea of forgotten anime. But as time pass, I can certainly see many good strengths about this little show and it becomes one of the show that I enjoyed the most this season. In fact, Yuru Camp’s appeal never really goes beyond its genre offering but as far as slice-of-life genre goes, it certainly offers more than enough to be a solid recommendation. Structure-wise, Yuru Camp is a show made up (mostly) of two half: one with the fluffy pink cupcake that is Nadeshiko and her camping experience with her Outclub’s members, and the other is Rin’s solo camp. Looking at each part, not only individually they are above your average cute-girls shows with distinctive, warm atmosphere and delightful chemistry from the cast, these two segments also complement each other well.

I’ll say it now, Rin’s solo not-quite-as-bizarre adventures make up for best parts of Yuru Camp. Usually, cute-girls shows elaborate the theme of happily spending time together with friends as their selling point (and as the natural way of life, apparently), and while Yuru Camp certainly has that aspect, the show also respects Rin’s little personal space. Maybe it resonates with me more than most people, but I’m always in the camp who believe that you’re truly happy when you can appreciate moments of nothingness. They’re moments when you can truly let go of all the burdens, connections of life that tie you tightly and just enjoy that exact point in time as it is. THE BEST HEALING METHOD IT IS. I get that same feeling while watching Rin sitting in her chair, late at night, totally alone, in the middle of camp site (If you want to see what I mean without bothering to watch the show, check out its ED). Rin is a loner, but she isn’t the type of loner who secretly looks for friends. She enjoys her time by herself and all little moments from her solo trip: from talking with a dog in a passing car, making conversations with other strangers, or quietly observing the place and – my favorite – finding obstacles along the way (block road, no water, etc) and managing to go through them and lastly, eating yummy foods are all rewarding in their own way and certainly make her trips a real treasure to watch. Moreover, Yuru Camp never frames her preference as being anti-social. Through the course of its run eventually Rin discovers the fun of camping together with friends, yes, but in essence she’s the same person who always enjoy camping alone. And the show and the girls all respect her little solitude space.

Outside of Rin’s solo camps, the show still has a lot to offer. All the characters are a delight to watch, Nadeshiko is a big teddy bear to hug and while you could argue their characters’ traits have been done to death, it’s the chemistry those girls share together that makes it all ticked. Their banters (and there were tons of it) feel exactly like conversations you have with your best mates, with easy-going attitude but weirdly sharp and fun at the same time. Their time spent together on the camping trips sing well too, with ahem… laidback tone and nice sceneries all around, which isn’t that surprising when the settings are mainly surround the Mount Fuji. The foods they make, contributes a huge parts to the success of this show. Just like how Rin comments about Nadeshiko: “look at her happy eating face makes the food itself looks tasty”, it’s the feeling that I get too (consider my hesitation on food-centric shows, this comes a rare recommendation). In addition, the fact that the show is set mostly in winter makes it a surprisingly appropriate show to watch this season and further makes camping-during-winter premise such a nice ring to it.

Yuru Camp is not without its issues, however. The cartoon tips about camping and getting the right camping materials distract the flow of the anime and I believe it’d be much better if they cut them entirely. Being a slice-of-show also mean that there’s no real character development and there’s minimum conflict whatsoever and where are the male species? It’s hard to fault the show for those, but it also means that apart from the strong atmosphere, many beautiful scenic backgrounds and delightful characters, there isn’t much else to offer. The score is pretty good as I can recall some of its score vividly and the night time in winter never look more appealing than this, so the background arts are a winner. Overall, Yuru Camp has all its ingredients for a solid slice of life show, and they pull it off. I will remember these girls’ banters, and most of all, the peace of being alone, rather fondly, but it’s also clear that people who don’t like the genre won’t have much to revel in here.

Neo Yokio – 96/100

This may be half a year overdue but I simply can’t accept that none of the writing staff of Star Crossed Anime have cover the the biggest development in anime where Netflix took a hand in producing anime in the form of Neo Yokio.

Taking place in the metropolis of Neo Yokio, a mashup between New York and Tokyo, it follows the Magistocrat Kaz Khan as he balances his life between hunting down demons, being a connoisseur of fashion and tempering the various relationships with the women in his life. Each episode tells a different stories but still slowly builds the continuity of its themes of the excesses of capitalism and vanity of the privileged.To be fair, you have to have a high intellectual capability to understand the points it’s expertally trying to get across like the giant Toblerones of which Kaz seems to carry everywhere with him as the basis is set in his desires to be the rock hard but sweet protector of Neo Yokio. While Jaden Smith, who is a young Hollywood actor and the son of Will Smith, isn’t known for his voice acting ability, he does an amazing job in portraying a character besieged by his overbearing aunt and social responsibility of becoming the most eligible bachelor in the entire city. Even the side characters like Kaz’s friends and the ever stalwart mecha-butler, Charles, are really well done as they add to the high-end atmosphere that Neo Yokio sets itself out to be by drawing from the philosophical works of Michel Foucault and Albert Camus into their own being. I will say that not everything gets wrapped neatly in the end but the journey of shifting alliances between the top bachelors, exhilarating demonic showdowns and standing up to Aunt Agatha’s tyranny instills the character growth I want to see from my Chinese cartoons. It may only be six episodes long but that’s all it needs to get its point across unless other shows that need twelve or more episodes because they can’t manage their overboasted plotlines properly.

In keeping with its themes and tribulations of Kaz being a part of Neo Yokio’s high society, the musical score does not disappoint in the least with pieces like Vivaldi Concerto in E Flat Major, Bach’s Harpsichord Concerto No.5 in F Minor BWV 1056, and the winter portion from the The Four Season done by the violin in F Minor. Often, I think that we are too focus on consuming original content when there is already such amazing soundtracks to choose from. After all, it is impossible to argue against centuries-old musical scores that have withstood the test of time and are still played by professional orchestras in fancy opera houses around the world. Neo Yokio distinguishes and elevate itself over the typical anime trash by building on top of masterpiece to become a masterpiece.

If there is any fault that I can find with Netflix’s impeccable first stab at overseeing anime production, it is that the animation isn’t the best out there. Produced in conjunction with Production IG, Studio Deen and Studio MOI, it is clear that they didn’t have the sheet talent or funding to reach the levels like Ufotable but the overall quality is quite nice in how they rendered city of Neo Yokio in the landmarks and extra additions like the The Sea Beneath 14th Street or the crazy Formula One race in the finale. Overall, it beats out most of the garbage that comes out every season but could give trashy overrated shows like Made in Abyss or Violet Evergarden a run for its money.

There seems to be a minority on the internet that decries Neo Yokio isn’t all that great to begin with but obviously, they can’t appreciate the nuance that is the choices of clothing like the Chanel suit or the travesty of a midnight-blue tuxedo. It is painfully obvious that criticism of that uncultured nature is shallow and pedantic at its very best. As this site prides itself on watching nothing but the best and with the new season begins in April, you would be a fool to miss out on this pinnacle of anime.

94 Toblerones/100 Toblerones

Devilman Crybaby – 83/100

It’s an exciting time to be an anime fan where new business models and players are making big waves within the animation industry. After debuting with the original and excellently-produced Neo Yokio, the juggernaut streaming service of Netflix has decided to revive the classic series of Devilman and gives it the full adaption treatment. By combining the sexual violence of its source material to the likes of Urotsukidoji and having big names like Masaaki Yuasa at its helm, the Devilman franchise makes a comeback into the western mindset after spending decades in obscurity.

For those of you not familiar with the Devilman series, it was a huge series in the 1970s where it tells the story of a teenage boy, bestowed with demonic powers, fighting against other unearthly horrors in an monster-of-the-week format. Subsequent OVAs attempted to follow the manga source more closely but could never finish the job. Devilman Crybaby makes a couple of liberal changes but the core story remains the same with Ryo and Akria teaming up to fight the demons with Miki supporting from the sidelines. Yuasa’s version adds a whole bunch of layers like the incorporation of track and field and roaming beatboxing freestylers . All those aspects are done quite well but perhaps the strongest aspect of having Netflix being the financier and distributor is being able to be very casual about its sexual and violent content. It was once said that:

There is nothing that arouses a stronger response in human beings than either sex or violence. A mixture of the two is very powerful indeed.

Unlike other anime where the mature content is done for the sake of being edgy, Devilman Crybaby uses its brutality to validates its darker themes as it progresses further along its story. I don’t want to give out spoilers but since the source is a 70s manga that influenced works like Berserk and Evangelion, there is nothing comforting about how everything plays out.   

If you are familiar with Yuasa’s unorthodox animation style, then Devilman Crybaby’s eccentric visuals should come as no surprise. It doesn’t have that crude design of Ping Pong the Animation, but lacks the fancy special effects that other studios strive for. Instead, it swings between the plain and psychedelic color palette, the strength to this anime is not found in the details but the unhinged motions of its characters and artistics liberties taken with the framing/composition of its shots. Like its animation, the music (composed by Kensuke Ushio of Koe no Katachi and Ping Pong the Animation fame), is just as unique with its elements of synthwave and an epic orchestral choir to the point like it came out of Hotline Miami 2‘s soundtrack. In keeping up with the insanity shown on screen, the soundtrack does a very job and only serves to enhance the show overall.

Devilman Crybaby is the definitive complete package of its source material but it doesn’t come without its fair share of problems. Clocking in at ten episodes, I had an issue with its pacing especially towards the latter half of the series when Ryo’s grand plan comes into fruition and things get very crazy. It goes far too fast in its escalation of conflict between the demons and mankind and in a few instances, I had to pause and read between the scenes to understand the what exactly happened in the final episodes. In addition, Ryo and Akira’s memories of their early childhood together should have been sprinkled in far earlier in the series instead of shoehorning it into the last episode as it seemed rushed to have the foundation poured in before the conclusion of their conflict. The second negative is the amount of Erglish thrown around as it becomes a distracting element for the story’s more serious moments. While Roy’s japanese voice actor is relatively decent in pronouncing his English line when compared to other anime (I’m looking at you Zankyou no Terror), there are some major speeches where his delivery fall flat in invoking the intended reaction from the viewers.

Devilman Crybaby is not a show for everyone. It is a vulgar, uncensored and sexually violent reinterpretation dreamed up by the surreal creativity that is Masaaki Yuasa. For those of you who are able to stomach such things or have a fascination with anime’s more unhindered aspects, this show is the shining example of the medium is capable of and the new business direction it is heading towards. However, for all its praises, there are just a few significant issues that holds it back from becoming anime of the year although it would easily a top ten list for any serious anime fan. In any case, Devilman Crybaby was an experience for me that I won’t forgetting about anytime soon.

83/100

Spring Season 2018 Preview

Some seasons feel like they have ended before they have truly begun but that last season really couldn’t have ended any sooner. It’s funny as the word bad doesn’t quite describe it as the anime last season was basically fine quality wise. But everything was of such mild averageness that it sucked the enthusiasm out of all the writers on this site, including myself. There wasn’t a single anime that I would consider great and far too much easygoing fluff shows that didn’t leave much of an impression.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel my friends as this new season just may make up for the old one’s failings. We got a lot of sequels admittedly, but they are sequels to interesting shows at least, some of which needed a sequel very much. Not to mention we got high potential shows which are not sequels. Last season it was hard to find anything worth watching but this season we may have too much we want to watch. Both are not exactly ideal but I much prefer the latter to former.

So same deal as last time. I check out all the source and staff and see what we might be in for. Poll down below to vote which shows you wish to have covered. Thanks to Mario for gathering images, helping out with the format and chipping in on a few shows. Also forgive me for the lateness of the preview but things have been very busy lately for me.

This poll is no longer accepting votes

What will you be watching this spring?
  • Gundam: Witch from Mercury S2 (34 votes)
  • Demon Slayer: Swordsmith Village Arc (25 votes)
  • The Ancient Magus' Bride S2 (20 votes)
  • Hell's Paradise (20 votes)
  • Tengoku Daimakyou (19 votes)
  • Dr. Stone: New World (17 votes)
  • Insomniacs After School (17 votes)
  • KonoSuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World! (16 votes)
  • Ousama Ranking: Yuuki no Takarabako (16 votes)
  • Skip and Loafer (16 votes)
  • Oshi no Ko (16 votes)
  • My Home Hero (9 votes)
  • Mashle: Magic and Muscles (7 votes)
  • Mix: Meisei Story S2 (7 votes)
  • Mahou Shoujo Magical Destroyers (7 votes)
  • Why Raeliana Ended up at the Duke's Mansion (6 votes)
  • Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story S2 (5 votes)
  • Tonikaku Kawaii 2nd Season (5 votes)
  • The Dangers in My Heart (5 votes)
  • Dead Mount Death Play (4 votes)
  • The Marginal Service (4 votes)
  • Loving Yamada at Lv999 (4 votes)
  • Edens Zero S2 (4 votes)
  • Ao no Orchestra (3 votes)
  • Watashi no Yuri wa Oshigoto desu! (3 votes)
  • Yuusha ga Shinda! (3 votes)
  • Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear Punch! (3 votes)
  • Edomae Elf (2 votes)
  • A Galaxy Next Door (2 votes)
  • Isekai [Remainder of Title] (2 votes)
  • Kaminaki Sekai no Kamisama Katsudou (2 votes)
  • Megami no Café Terrace (0 votes)

 

The sequels/Shorts I don’t care about

Akkun to Kanojo (short)

Amai Choubatsu: Watashi wa Kanshu Senyou Pet (short)

Amanchu! Advance

Beyblade Burst Chouzetsu

Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu HAPPY KISS

Fumikiri Jikan (short)

Hoozuki no Reitetsu 2: Part II

Inazuma Eleven: Ares no Tenbin

Koneko no Chii: Ponponra Daibouken 2

Ladyspo (short)

Lupin III: Part V

Lostorage Conflated WIXOSS

Omae wa Mada Gunma wo Shiranai (short)

Oshiri Tantei (short)

Shokugeki no Souma: San no Sara – Tootsuki Ressha-hen

Tachibanakan Triangle (short)

To Be Hero 2

Uchuu Senkan Tiramisù (short)

Souten no Ken: REGENESIS (prequel)

Wakaokami wa Shougakusei! (short)

 

Series I don’t care about

 

3D Kanojo


 

Studio: Hoods Entertainment

Director: Takashi Naoya

Script/Series composer: Deko Akao

Source: Manga

Hikari Tsutsui is a high school boy who is satisfied with the virtual girls he encounters in anime and games. He does not have many friends and he lives in his own world. One day, when he is stuck on pool cleaning duty, he is approached by Iroha, a “real girl” who is showy and popular with boys.

The good thing about this show is that the manga is complete so this could very well be a full adaption. The bad news is this is overdramatized shoujo nonsense where people get bent out of shape over the slightest of trivialities. There are likely those who might find it engaging but as for myself I just look at this over idealised version of love and shake my head. I can’t really see the relationship in this one as anything natural and more comes across as teenagers getting all over excited about pure infatuation. This is the director’s second show with his first being Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru. Series composer fares better with her most recent work being “After the Rain” in the current season. She also did Snow White with the Red Hair and Flying Witch so this looks to be in good hands on that front. If you happen to like Shoujo manga or anime this this might be for you but most certainly not for me. I hate shoujo with a passion.

 

Aikatsu Friends!


 

Studio: Bandai Namco Pictures

Director: Shishou Igarashi

Script/Series composer: Yuuko Kakihara

Source: Original

The new anime will have a theme of “Aikatsu with your friends!” and will center on a new protagonist named Aine Yuuki, who is good at making friends, and is enrolled in Star Harmony Academy’s general education track. She befriends Mio Minato, the school’s top idol, and becomes an idol herself.

Aikatsu Friends is a 38 episode show about idols in a high school and boy do I sure have no interest whatsoever. This is a spinoff of Aikatsu which is a show that had 178 episodes…oh my god. Look, I just don’t see this franchise having a story that requires 178 episodes to tell. I sure do look forward to the day the idol craze dies and hope it isn’t replaced by something more annoying. Director and Series composer did nothing of note. Sorry about not putting a lot of effort into this one but let’s be blunt, if you aren’t already into this series I am fairly certain this show isn’t going to suddenly convert you.
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