Category: Other:

EVIL OR LIVE

Short Synopsis: An Internet addict is thrown into a shady re-education academy.

Wooper’s review

How am I supposed to feel after having seen this dumpster fire? Should I sympathize with the MMO and FPS junkies trapped in their new prison, or should I pity them instead? Is the purple-haired inmate supposed to be viewed as a badass or a manipulative prick? There’s no way to know for sure, because Evil or Live is too amateurish a production to transmit a point of view. It struggles just to fill 22 minutes, stitching together on-screen text, live action scenes, and a creepy children’s song in the vain hope that the end result might be slightly entertaining. None of those things are show-killers on their own, but when combined with choppy animation, a senseless premise, and some of the worst voice acting I’ve ever heard, they certainly don’t do the show any favors. The only way this series could possibly cultivate an audience is by preying on the fears of real life Internet addicts, and to its credit, that’s precisely what Evil or Live does. Its chief villain is a physically imposing, verbally abusive, beatstick-wielding brute of a man, and he’s probably the most likable character in the show. In fact, his only flaw is that he didn’t emerge from my computer screen and beat *me* senseless so I wouldn’t have to watch this entire episode.

Potential: 0%

Mario’s review

Hello Chinese anime, my old friend. I’ve come to talk about you again. It’s funny that you can track how Haoliners progresses as an anime studio by following their seasonal offerings. This time, for example, they expand their artistic ground by including brief live-action and stop motion montages in the opening sequences that feel right at home with Shaft’s impressionist art, which for me is a welcomed experiments. But watching Evil or Live, I have a strong feeling of being manipulated by the show. There are two main themes this show wants to convey: first, the addictiveness from playing games online, which do have its social relevance but they make it way too serious here; and second, the abusive treatments that feel more like a jail than an institution. Those two themes conflicts each other in terms of direction, so to resolve this issue, the show decides to… get the main male lead hooking up with his crush from secondary school? Yeah, you heard it right. The male lead is a punchable dude who sobs and wets all the time and his motive is so trashy that he belongs right where this show is. Apart from those interesting visuals I mentioned above, the animation is on the lackluster side, the humor is depressingly awkward and I swear I see dozen of other characters who look like the main character here. Still not a good enough effort Haoliners, but keep trying by all means.

Potential: 0%

 

Boku no Kanojo ga Majime Sugiru Shobitch na Ken

Short Synopsis: A boys new girlfriend keeps relating everything in their relationship to excessively sexual matters.

Aidan’s review

If anyone knows me, then they know I don’t find anime comedy to be very funny but this is even worse when a comedy anime is centered around a single joke. Boy wants a pure relationship but his girlfriend keeps misinterpreting all his desires as excessively sexual. Isn’t that hilarious? Not really. If you ask me a girl with a sex drive isn’t something to be shamed but rather I think it’s what most of us would want. My main problem here is that like that show we had last season about a sexually aggressive character they make it that the character is actually just a pure little snowflake and the whole desire for sex is actually some misunderstanding or front. I really hate that because I find this “purity” thing to be absolutely hypocritical and stupid. My guess is that this childhood friend of his that someone manages to make every line of dialogue into a double entendre actually gets all “Hazukashi” when it comes to getting down to be business. So what this show has to offer is sex jokes with some filler romance, fanservice and harem aspects in between. Despite not knowing how this series will turn out, I am nearly one hundred percent certain the romance will go nowhere. Because it’s a romance in anime comedy. It never goes anywhere.

Potential: 0%

Mario’s review

Oh anime about a bunch of teens who can’t control their hormones, just about what we need. You must have one of those to complete the season. How many times do we see the confession right off the bat between characters who we have no idea who they are? The premise sounds like a clone of Mysterious Girlfriend X but at least the latter had its own charm, this one is boring and filled with tropes. Already this guy has a harem who are physically closer to him than his own girlfriend. The plot is driven by hormones so there’s of course boob-bouncing, boob-grabbing and isn’t it great that the person who drives the plot isn’t our main characters but some random girl? Even I don’t get what Sho-bitch really mean so it’s clear that I’m not an audience target for this. Anime was indeed a mistake. Next.

Potential: 0%

 

Inuyashiki

Short Synopsis: An elderly man is turned into a cyborg after an alien encounter.

Wooper’s review

The series I was most reminded of as I watched this episode was Parasyte. The main characters of each show may differ quite a bit in age, but they both receive extraordinary powers after coming into contact with aliens, and are forced to battle at least one other person with the same abilities. Parasyte dealt mostly with questions of naturality, but Inuyashiki is more likely to tackle social issues, given the loneliness and age-based discrimination its hero is saddled with. That’s an exciting prospect in an anime landscape full of dumb teenagers, but it’s up to MAPPA to deliver a watchable product. So far I’d say the show looks… passable. The hybrid 2D/CG style is a necessity, given the main character’s robotic frame, but the show creates a jarring effect whenever it uses a 3D model for his human form. Even during traditionally-animated scenes, there are a lot of moments where characters ought to look anguished or furious, and they’re flat-faced instead. Still, the show looks clean and its events are well laid-out, which isn’t something that can be said about every series. I’m picking this one up for at least three episodes, but I’m not ready to drink the whole pitcher of Kool-Aid just yet.

Potential: 65%

Lenlo’s Review

I had no idea what I was getting into with Inuyashiki, and this first episode blew me away. I was interested from start to finish. First and foremost, the age of the main character. In a market where characters in their 20’s are a rarity, we are given a 58 year old salaryman with an unloving family and a bad back. Everything about his character, from his problems to his attitude, just feels like a breathe of fresh air. There are some issues however. As Wooper said, most characters are flat faced, but I would like to think that was done on purpose to show what the Main Character’s life was like. Based on his own expressions, they can clearly do emotion. The CG is also hit or miss. Normal scenes, with just humans, look wonky. Yet any scene involving the robotic parts look fantastic. Lots of effort clearly went into the Robot Model, as it should since it’s a centerpiece, and anytime that robot is doing something just looks great. I am concerned this is going to turn into some shounen affair, with the young man who was also hit. But assuming they can keep the old man interesting and really tackle the problems of his age I think Inuyashiki will be a treat.

Potential: 85%

AidanAK47’s review

As the others have said, the art for the faces comes off as rather stiff and the CGI can be a bit jarring. I will also say that it may be hammering home the point a little too hard. I like that it is showing the social issue of people being apathetic towards an senor generation but it goes a little too far with the doctor nonchalantly declaring a death sentence and the teenagers gunning for blood at the end. It’s not outside the realm of plausibility but I feel that, in particular the teenagers, they went too far to vilify them. Regardless this is a unique concept and I really like the execution of it so far. Whats better is that the Inuyashiki manga has been completed and from the looks of things this series could in fact be a complete adaption. Which has bumped this series up a few points in my eyes.

Potential: 75%

Kujira no Kora wa Sajou ni Utau

Short Synopsis: A mysterious girl is found and brought on board a vessel called a mud whale which sails on a sea of sand.
AidanAK47’s review
It really is nice to see a fantasy series which doesn’t use the template of Tolkien and instead tries to make a world vastly different from our own. That is the biggest draw of this series so far, the world of this story is very fascinating. For a first episode this is quite good at setting up the culture and livelihood of these people. There are some hiccups however in it’s presentation. One is that the series has the main character narrator constantly to give exposition and allude to future events. While he can have interesting things to say, his narration can be unnecessary at times and this is a world where showing would be better than telling. The second issue is that occasionally the characters have rather “anime” like interactions. What I mean is that there are bits of comedy and dialogue which have the designs go more chibi and exaggerated mannerisms. Considering the serious mature tone of the series it’s odd to have these small moments which just serve to take you out of the show. Another minor thing has to do with the backgrounds and character designs. The backgrounds of this series are magnificent, it appears they got a real anime veteran in to pull out these marvels but sadly they are a bit too good. For the characters have a more simplistic design so it makes them feel very disconnected from these backdrops. Nonetheless this is another strong first episode in a season with great potential so far. So provided that you haven’t met your max setting on your plan to watch list then this most certainly is another to consider adding.
Potential: 70%

Mario’s review
Like one of our commenters pointed out, I get the “From the New World” vibe while watching this show. Their world is a close-knit society filled with rich and fascinating history, carry out many rituals and customs that completely their own. The children in those worlds possess a magic power (whatever terms they use: saimai, cantus – it’s magic). It helps that the main character of this story is an archivist, so the info-dumping about the place doesn’t feel out of place and we will get to know more about its worldbuilding as time goes on. That come to one of my main issue with Children of the Whales right now, we haven’t spent enough time to this world to fully grasp the impact of new change about to come. Without a proper build-up can we, as an audience, care enough about the danger to this society? Another issue that I have is that I notice a tone-changing most of the time the male lead appears. This light-hearted cutesy tone unfortunately doesn’t quite fit with the rest of the episode. Apart from those, we have one of the strongest premiere here. The arts, for example, really stand out with its watercolor aesthetic and detailed backgrounds. The same could be said for the beautiful scores and the attention to details of its world-building. Even the characters have a lot of room for a proper development here. Overall, this show has a potential to become something truly special.
Potential: 80%

Animegataris

Short Synopsis: Two girls decide to revive the anime club at their high school.
Wooper’s Review
High school club series aren’t really my thing, but as far as the genre goes, Animegataris is solid. It feels a little like a kid’s show in its presentation, but there’s an undercurrent of self-awareness running through its simple script. Within the first few minutes, the show mocks ridiculous light novel titles like “A Report on the Irresponsible and Depressing Chronicles of Me and a Certain Eccentric Childhood Friend.” It also comments on popular character archetypes like ojou-sama (“I love the way she’s slightly condescending!”), and uses its soundtrack to create a heightened reality where these tropes slot naturally into a real high school classroom. Unlike a lot of anime where the ~most beautiful girl in school~ is into anime or video games, this one pulls it off by properly balancing her enthusiasm for anime and her shame at having such a nerdy hobby. In the end, the enthusiastic part of her wins out, and so she decides (with a little encouragement) to reform her school’s anime club. Unfortunately, that’s where the show loses me, since it’s going to be a matter of formula from episode 2 onward – recruiting new members, figuring out what to do for the cultural festival, etc. I’d say this episode is worth watching on its own, but it wasn’t enough to convince me that the series will deliver the goods every week.
Potential: 35%

AidanAK47’s review
I can’t say I am fond of these school club animes but this one managed to retain my attention thanks to two things. There does seem to be a degree of self awareness and the characters seem stereotypical but at least have enough personality to show that they didn’t come off a conveyor belt. I can relate to this rich girl otaku’s dilemma of thanking to someone who enjoys anime but doesn’t quite delve into it on the depth you do. I felt like this when I got into a conversation with a newbie anime fan. Much like here it does feel like a disconnection in the conversation and it often end up with you recommending them a bunch a titles. I can’t say it’s funny or all that original but it does at least seem watchable. The second thing though is that there is a odd sense of foreboding here. There are supernatural elements present and there were shots with a man sitting on a bench which didn’t quite tonally match with the rest of the episode. I am not expecting a dark turn but there does seem to be more to this than meets the eye. I plan on giving it a few more episodes to see if it develops into something interesting but even if not this could be a decent anime for watching in between shows.
Potential: 40%

Imouto sae Ireba Ii.

Short Synopsis: A group of LN authors get together to drink, flirt, and play games.

Mario’s review
I believe this show is a jab at the “little sister” archetype, and more especially at Tsukasa Fushimi’s works since his career has been milked from writing those crappy novels sibling relationships. But here’s the thing, the show, not unlike its characters, understand next to nothing about writing a female character. Look the way they write those two girls – one is plain, the other one is foul-mouthed who already has a feeling for male lead despite he doesn’t have to lift his finger. The rest of the show runs more like an author get-together with not-so-exciting games and lazy wish-fulfilment (well, a half-brother who not only can cook, but cook very well). So far none of the cast feel like a real person and that main guy in particular is so annoying to watch for his arrogant and his obsession for little sisters – the only 2 traits that he has. A little note for the author, if you have never seen a real girl sniffing at boy’s underwear with your own eyes before, then don’t write this creep down. It rings false, phony and superficial doesn’t matter how I look at it. If you like the works of Eromanga sensei or shows about self-insert successful LN author who know nothing about the real life then this is right up your valley. Sorry if I sound mean but why do these lazy works keep selling like crazy?
Potential: (my head bursts)

Wooper’s Review
The first 90 seconds of this show are a dramatization of the main character’s manuscript, in which his protagonist makes out with his naked little sister, dunks his head in her used bathwater, drinks her breast milk from a cup, and eats an omelet prepared with her “eggs.” The whole segment looked hideous and made me want to die, but then the show pulled back the curtain and revealed… more garbage. Honestly, my opinion of this show couldn’t possibly be lower, even if the entire 23 minutes had been an extended version of its “tricky” opening scene, because what came afterwards was just as stupid and degrading. The main author’s preoccupation with imouto is aimed squarely at the incest division of Japan’s otaku population, who are incapable of realizing this show exists solely to steal their Blu-ray bucks. The MC’s “step-brother” is fooling absolutely nobody (apart from the show’s sub-70 IQ cast). The main female character might as well be replaced with a block of text that reads, “Girls will like you if you keep watching this show.” Dick jokes, leering shower scenes, underwear sniffing – this series has every bottom-of-the-barrel cliche in the incest anime playbook. But hey, maybe that’s your thing. Maybe you just want a show where you can “turn ur brian of” and watch a handful of underage girls fall in love with a non-threatening protagonist. Maybe this premiere was actually a work of art, and I’m just a dumb normie who can’t understand its brilliance. That’s gotta be it, right? Imouto sae Ireba Ii is a masterpiece, and those pesky normies are out to ruin your anime experience! It’s all the normies’ fault!!! HAHAHAHAHA
Potential: Fuck this show

AidanAK47’s review
Everyday we stray further from God’s light.
Alright to be fair it’s the opening two minutes which were painful to watch. Even though I get the intent for it to be a jab at imouto stories, it’s really wasn’t something I needed to see. Plus it’s hard to mock light novel conventions when you rely on those exact same conventions. The rest is just bad jokes with characters who are one dimensional stereotypes. There is at least one moment at the end which looked to be aiming for a deeper plotline in that the main protagonists fan is a far better writer than he ever was and that could have worked had it not been for the character in question. This is the guy who sabotages his own work just to fulfill his own fetish and self insert fantasy so I can’t say I feel for the guy when he gets sad that someone is a better writer than he is.
Potential: (Incoherent screaming)

Mahoutsukai no Yome

Short Synopsis: A girl is bought at a slave auction and ends up becoming a Magician’s apprentice.

Lenlo’s Review:

If I had to describe Mahoutsukai in one word, I would say it’s “Intriguing”. The first half starts off uplifted, going from a dark voluntary slavery deal, to wizards apprentice. Meanwhile the second half shows us hints of what’s to come and gives us an idea of the threats in this world. The entire time we are shown beautifully detailed backgrounds/scenes with interesting but not overdone character designs. Mahoutsukai is very colorful, with even the dark underground having greens and blues scattered about the scene. The only gripe I can find with it so far is the quick pacing of the first episode, at the end you understand why it was like they. Mahoutsukai has a lot to setup and introduce, from its world, its magic and its inhabitants. To get all that done without an info dump requires some speed and I think it was done well. With a full 24 episodes this season, Mahoutsukai has room to tell whatever story it wants and I for one am looking forward to it.

Potential: 90%

AidanAK47’s review

Very good stuff, very good indeed. Mahoutsukai manages to capture the intrigue of magic and the atmosphere of the unknown. There may be some that see the setup to be rather concerning as it does involve a man(?) buying a slave girl at an auction. That said it does seem that this series is aiming for the strange discomfort of the idea. In moralistic standards this situation in itself isn’t acceptable but when taking into account the circumstances of the individuals it becomes more reasonable. Mutual benefit really as the magician gets a new apprentice while Chise, a girl who is abused to the point where she agrees to sell herself just in hopes of finding somewhere to belong, gains a new home with a guardian who treats her with respect and dignity. That said it’s not as if this all sunshine and roses as the world of magic does hold dangers for Chise as shown by the fairies attempting to seduce her into joining their world. So far I am loving the celtic inspiration for the magical creatures and the series looks beautiful with a rather nice opening. Not quite slice of life but not a magical supernatural drama. More a stroll into the weird and wonderful. Highly recommend checking this out.

Potential: 85%

 

Blood Blockade Battlefront: Beyond

Short Synopsis: Leonardo and company return to keep the peace in a supernatural version of New York City.

Mario’s review

Was Kekkai Sensen always this wacky? Not that it’s a bad thing. The first episode of this second season takes the right spirit of the first season, and tone it up a few notches. The whole thing is one crazy fun after another, sometimes with “blink and you miss” moments. The city is a chaos and Kekkai Sensen is extremely good at making things spiral out of control. Leo runs almost entirely in this episode, with a luggage of the Head of the President of US. The rest of the team adds their touch to those wacky adventures and the soundtracks… boy how I’ve missed them. I say that despite the departure of Rie Matsumoto, this show is in good hands here as the direction, the production, and the storytelling scream confident here.  Kekkai Sensen earns a solid commendation from me.

Potential: 60%

 

Wooper’s Review

I remember only two things about the first season: that there was a terrific episode about an alien who loves hamburgers, and that its ending didn’t make a lick of sense. Still, even though my memory of the show is hazy, Kekkai Sensen doesn’t appear to have missed a beat in the handoff from one director to another. The new guy, Shigehito Takayanagi, was an episode director for classic 90’s series like Cardcaptor Sakura and Trigun, and his experience translates well to the frenetic pace of this new project. Hellsalem’s Lot is as beautifully realized as ever, and Leonardo’s fellow Libra agents still have those outsized attacks and personalities. The soundtrack is terrific, boasting a refreshing mix of hip-hop, jazz, and J-rock that fits the show’s half-human, half-alien city like a glove. This is a series that favors style over substance, which is just as well, since it’s easy to get lost in the nonstop mayhem that follows Leo no matter how far he runs. That potential for confusion is the one thing that holds Kekkai Sensen back from greatness, but it’s part of the show’s DNA at this point, so you’re either with it or you’re not. As for me, I’ll be tuning in for the full 12 episodes (and hoping for a better resolution this time).

Potential: 70%

 

Dynamic Chord

Short Synopsis: Bands play songs and a singer quits.

AidanAK47’s review

Dynamic Chord, if you have a point then could you get to to it. This my friends has to be the worst animation I have seen in a anime in recent years. So many panning shots, the absolute bare minimum of movement and just an ugly show to watch. The plot is nearly incoherent as the majority of the time is taken up with these guys staring blankly, panning shots of the environment and “music videos” which are essentially powerpoint slideshows. Nothing happened here, I mean some bands played some songs and there was some dialogue but quite frankly, nothing happened here. I don’t know who these people are, what their names are or even what the story is supposed to be. It just jumps jarringly from scene to scene without context or a clear time frame. My theory of Otome game adaptations always being terrible is sadly being proven but even with the other two in this season, at least they cared enough to animate it. This is just the most soulless and low effort cash grab of a series. No love was put into its creation and I can tell that no one truly cared about it. Save yourself twenty minutes and pass on this.

Potential: 0%

Mario’s review

After suffering watching the three male idols this season (thank god it finally ends), I am confident to say that Dynamic Chord is the worst one out of the pack. I mean, watching this I have a clear feeling that they make this anime to promote those fictional bands and don’t care one iota for the quality of the anime. The plot is so poorly written that they fill huge chunk in the middle part of those bands playing their songs. And even then they don’t have the energy to properly animate them – they just use some recycle scenes over and over. The male lead, for some weird reasons, has different eye colors. I know real people can have different eye colors but I bet no one has something as bizarre as blue/yellow. It just seriously lost me entirely. There’s no plot, except some details about some paparazzi and a drama about a lead singer of some random band – who we literally spend 3 seconds with – drops out of a band for being emo. Even their music isn’t for my taste so I don’t have anything fond to look back here.

Potential: 0%

Houseki no Kuni

Short Synopsis: Girls made of jewels fight off invaders from the moon who wish to capture them.

AidanAK47’s review

The fact that this anime is fully 3D CGI animation is likely going to put people off but luckily the story does help make it less uncanny. The girls are made of Jewels so them looking glassy and shiny actually works. The animation is still hit and miss but overall I don’t find it quite as distracting as I would in works like Knights of Sidonia. What’s really the highlight here is the story which is definitely out there as far as premises go. I do still have a bit of trouble getting into it but not quite as much as when I sampled the manga. So far I would say that while the setting and plot interest me, the characters I find are coming up rather weak. That said, it’s only the first episode and I am interested in seeing just what is coming from this. It’s a unique idea, so let’s hope it pays off.

Potential: 60%

Mario’s review

Hear me out on this, I’m giving the show this high score knowing full well its stumbling block: the CGI. While the character designs are one of the most brilliant use of CG in recent years (they are gems after all), the CG animation still remains distracting, especially whenever Houseki pans around the characters. For me the weakest part comes from the introduction of Phos where you can see the off-putting of the CGI: fake field of glass, wrong score, clunky animation. Having said all that, I’m overwhelmed by Houseki. A good kind of overwhelming, the feeling I only have for handful of my favorite anime like Flip Flappers or Made in Abyss. Houseki is wildly imaginative and wholly fresh and so far the presentation manages to keep up with its wild ideas. I could go on to say that for what it worth, this is the most visually distinctive anime of the season. It will weird viewers out, I’m sure, but that makes it even more stand out. I like the characters presented so far (Phos for me is improved a lot from the first chapter of the manga) and I am hooked on the relationship between Phos and Cinnabar. And I certainly didn’t expect this emotional resonance this show manages to pull off (they done right with the score there: when Cinnabar said that he wanted to be taken by the enemy, it’s just the sound of the waves presented here). This is a love-it or hate-it show but count me in as the big fan of it.

Potential: 90%

Two Car

Short Synopsis: Two girls participate in Motorcycle sidecar races around an island.

AidanAK47’s review

I’m so bored. May I ask why there’s highschool involvement? I mean why do the commenters have to be high school age? Why does it have to be the annual Motorcycle sidecar race between Highschool clubs? Doesn’t even make sense, why would high schools fork out so much cash for a motorcycle race? Isn’t there serious health and safety concerns? Well anyway this show makes the cardinal sin of trying to introduce the entirely of it’s cast within the first five minutes. By the time they finished I couldn’t even remember who was who and when they put on helmets I really couldn’t tell them apart. The first episode jumps jarringly between the past and present. The present being a motorcycle race and the past showing that these two had a big crush on their literally faceless manager. The racing doesn’t really have any stakes as our protagonists go from last to first within a single lap by the magical power of going faster. It’s remarked that the two main protagonists are alike to which I argee. The are so alike in that they have no real distinct characteristics and are instead a bunch of rather generic traits that could be applied to anybody. In fact all the drivers in this race can be summed up with a single quirk. This isn’t a terrible show but I certainly found my attention span wandering as I watched.

Potential: 0%

Mario’s review

From the land of anime, we have cute girls who into bike… for probably a fourth time this past two years. This time, however, it’s a motorcycle sidecar racing, and it’s an original project created by Silver Link for their 10th year anniversary, so there’s a brim light of optimistic here. This first episode divides into 2 parts: an actual racing exhibition with all the players introduced (14 of them), and a little back story between the two leads (who both have a liking for their sensei who apparently is too high horse that the show doesn’t allow us to see his face). The first part made up some exciting race, although I do have a feeling these races gonna be repetitive. The latter part fare much worse as they explore the chemistry between the girls (look, they have the same personality) and how they train hard to improve themselves through the learning from out-of-nowhere said sensei. The production is on par but I give credits for the sound department who does a very good job of making the race sound exciting. I have a solid time and I’m mildly interested in how the show will go from there so I will give it a 3-episode watch.

Potential: 40%

Blend S

Short Synopsis: A girl gets a job at a cafe where the servers put on different personalities.

Wooper’s Review

Did you like Working!! so much that you’d be willing to watch anything with a similar premise, no matter how dull? Well then, have I got just the thing for you! It’s called Blend S, and it’s got everything you could ever want in a cute girls show: workplace harassment, anime tropes by the truckload, and a chesty blonde gal who wants to add her friend code to your Nintendo 3DS! To be fair, Working!! wasn’t exactly the pinnacle of character writing, but at least its gags weren’t tired after just one episode. I can’t say the same about Blend S, nor can I recommend it for its character or background art, both of which felt too familiar to leave any impact on me. It might be interesting to see the girls switch personality traits every episode, but given the fact that Maika and her “scary eyes” are tailor-made for the sadist role, I doubt that’s the kind of twist the show has in store. If you really like CGDCT, give this one a watch – if not, skip it.

Potential: 10%

Mario’s review

Blend S is mild moe show that lacks bite. First, I actually can get behind the concept that those waitresses have to act contrary to their personality, ala their efforts not to break their own character and/or behave like their assigned character. Some of its jokes, however, wears out its welcome after only one episode, most notably the main character’s creepy eyes or the manager’s obnoxious behaviors that manages to creep me out. I don’t mind the settings in a café either, but it feels drag and aimless when those girls decide to play outside in an arcade. The production is nothing to write home about and the whole cast is easy to spend time with, but also doesn’t leave much impact. A decent but forgettable watch, which frankly isn’t good enough.

Potential: 10%

Dies Irae

Short Synopsis: Nazi’s form a supernatural powered group and move to create Chaos in modern day Japan.

Lenlo’s Review:

Ho boy, another anime on Magical Nazi Germany. The dialogue is ham fisted, the animation is stunted and lacks any sort of impact and the directing has a number of weird cuts and spinning or zooming camera shots. Just watch until the first fight against the two bandaged people to see what I mean, as they float around and swipe/slide at each other. The quality switch between fights and stills makes me think I’m watching a completely different anime. As far as story or characters go, everything about this makes me think Dies Irae is only for the Visual Novel fans. Unless you already know what is happening, who some of these characters are or what is happening, I don’t think this will be a good fit for you.

Potential: 15%

AidanAK47’s review

Oh what a confused mess of a series this has turned out to be. I can’t say I am surprised for as I said in my preview, I wasn’t excited to see this series. I always had the feeling it would turn out something like this. First some clarification. This is not the start of the story, this is in fact a side story of the visual novel which is normally viewed after making it a good bit through the visual novel. I get the intent here as this side story is supposed to be of how our league of villains got together and seeing as they are one of the best parts of this story it’s not a bad idea to start it with them. However if you know nothing about Dies Irae then good luck trying to follow this. Even though I read the story I found this episode to be presented in a confusing way. It assumes that you already know the characters and have an idea on what is happening. This series is not beginner friendly, that‘s for sure. The animation and art is pretty terrible sadly which is a shame because the visual novel art is quite beautiful. Direction is also quite messy and the writing just feels stilted and paced wrong. What bugs me quite a bit here is that the fight scenes show the characters jumping around and doing supernatural stuff. But at this point in time in the story the characters haven’t obtained supernatural powers yet. This should just be a street brawl, not some shounen power clash with teleportation and ridiculous physics. Well I will be covering this series out of personal interest despite it looking to be a trainwreck but I implore you thus. If this episode has gained even a tiny bit of your interest then stop watching this anime and play the visual novel for it will undoubtedly be a far superior experience. You can get the first seven chapters for free on steam right now with the rest of the game as paid DLC. Normally DLC is an ugly word but in this case it means you can experience a large part of the story to see if it’s for you before buying the product. If you are interested then that is how you should experience this story. Otherwise the only value in watching this series is if you have read the VN and want to see just how badly they screw it up.

Potential: 10%

Garo – VANISHING LINE

Short Synopsis: A motorcycle-riding knight defeats Horrors amidst a modern cityscape.

Mario’s review

The premiere period is only half of its run so far, but I believe we now have a contender for the best Action show of this first impression. Vanishing Line functions like a Hollywood action movies, with really well-crafted choreography and smooth animation. The story is as straight-forward as it gets, following a new Garo hero fighting those monsters and our red-haired girl finding her road to El Dorado, the former would please any action fans and the latter would provide some thematic chop. The new hero, Sword, is a perfect lead for this type of show: hot-head, skillful but never think far ahead. The type that will think about what to eat as soon as he’s not pursuing the monsters. The battle sequences are amongst the best I’ve seen this year and with many amazing set-pieces, the show manages to entertain from beginning to end. At the end of the day Vanishing Line is still a brainless style over substance show, but at long as it doesn’t disappoint in terms of entertainment values there will be nothing to worry about.

Potential: 60%

Wooper’s Review

I’ve got to disagree with Mario on this one, especially where Garo’s visual presentation is concerned. The use of shaky-cam during its fight scenes is on the level of Paul Greengrass’s Bourne films, and MAPPA employed that technique specifically because there weren’t enough in-between frames to bring its combat to life. Even the computer-aided elements of the production didn’t have the necessary polish to communicate what the hell was going on. As a viewer, you know that people are getting punched, kicked, and shredded by motorcycle tires, but if you were asked to describe the fight fifteen minutes after watching it, the specifics would probably elude you. That’s not the kind of direction I’m looking for in an action series, and unfortunately, none of the show’s other aspects are enough to rescue it from mediocrity. The modern setting is new for Garo, but once you get past how different it is, you realize the New York-inspired streets and back-alley shots have all been done before. The aptly-named Sword has a lot of charisma, but he’s surrounded by women whose roles are either to get rescued or have big tits. The spirit trapped in the skull ring was the best part of the premiere for the ridiculous way he fused with the MC’s bike, but of the two shows this season with talking motorcycles, Garo isn’t the one you ought to be watching.

Potential: 30%

Code:Realize Sousei no Himegimi

Short Synopsis: A girl whose touch is poisonous is captured by a group of bastardised fictional icons.

AidanAK47’s review

You know I really do try with these Otome game adaptations. I at least try to have an open mind, to let the story have a chance to suck me in. But it’s really hard for me when the writing is so damn amateurish that when you have a character singing London Bridge is falling Down in the first few seconds and manage to get the lyrics wrong! Not broken down, Falling down. It’s in the bloody title for god’s sake. Do you even google sir?! On top of which we got a cast of bastardised characters from other famous fictional works and yet they get it wrong because this story is set in England and two of these characters are supposed to be french. Not that it matters all that much cause these pretty boys have nothing to do with their counterparts. Yet again in an Otome adaption our main character is a paper puppet with the emotional range of Steven Seagal. All of her lines are monotone and despite the fact she literally kills everyone she touches, all these pretty boys are out to get a piece of that fatal action. I actively laughed when one of the guys asks another how she was feeling and the man responds with “Confused…I think”. Even our main characters can see this protagonist is a piece of cardboard saying lines so standard I wouldn’t be surprised if they were straight from an otome playbook. Also of course, she has amnesia because god forbid our main character have some actual character. Look, I am not denying that eroge/visual novels have their own annoying hangups as well but at least out of them you can pick out some standout works. But when it comes to Otome, I have yet to see a single worthwhile work. Please, just one work that doesn’t feel like cookie cutter garbage would be nice.

Potential: 0%

Mario’s review

Sorry to be blunt, but the whole concept doesn’t make any damn sense. How can the main girl can stay along in the big mansion all those years without food and pass anyone’s suspicion until now? Why did her father think it’s a good idea to implant whatever it is to her chest and leave her alone, along with verbally abuse her? Why Arsene Lupin? Isn’t he French? Along with Mahoutsukai no Yome, we have another show that set in England, but with much less detail. The group of gentlemen has some diversity, but they’re still pretty much an one-note characters for now. But that main girl is just terrible, her character is indistinctive, she has no real drive and even filled with tired tropes (amnesia??? Seriously). I’m not holding my breath much for this one. Thumbs down.

Potential: 20%

Kino’s Journey

Short Synopsis: Kino travels to a country where the law allows people to kill.

AidanAK47’s review

Ah Kino, how I missed you. I am a really sucker for these kinds of moral parables and from the first episode this show looks to be continuing the tradition well. Not really a sequel nor is it a remake, it appears to be a mixture of old and new as we start off with a brand new story and are moving into an old story that was adapted before. The next episode is one of my least favorite of the old series but we shall see how it does with a new coat of paint. Speaking of which the visuals of Kino have gotten a significant upgrade which could throw people off who prefer the rougher storybook style of the original series. Personally I am fine with the new artstyle and the only points I had a problem with where the two parts where they replaced kino with a CGI puppet when parking her motorrad. It’s small but a little jarring when you see it.That said, Kino was never about the visuals, it’s about the story. From where I see it they are adapting that aspect of it fantastically. Now for the hope that this would be revealed to be a two cour series because that would be marvelous.

Potential: 95%

Mario’s review

Kino’s Journey is back, with a new gown. With its updated character designs, the new version of Kino is more like a reboot than a continuation of a 2003-series, meaning there will be some old tales that receive new treatment again. Don’t know how I feel about that until I see how the new versions play out. About the original series, although I consider the arts fairly ugly, it fits perfectly to the narrative theme of the series (which curiously name as The Beautiful World). I don’t mind this new art of Kino’s Journey, Kino looks pleasantly detailed and overall it brings the same tones of the original series, but sometimes when they rely on the use of  it looks distracting. The first tale sets the show in the right footing, not amongst the best tale we’ve seen but still leaves plenty food for thought. People who hasn’t checked out the original show will have no problem approaching this new material, as this episode bookends the premise of the show and gives us some necessary dynamic between Kino and Hermes. Next week will be a story that original fans are all familiar with: Coliseum, and next week might be a good chance to see if this new adaptation falls under superior or inferior position compared to the 2003 version.

Potential: 85%

Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou

Short Synopsis: Two girls ride their tank around in the post-apocalyptic world.

Lenlo’s Review:

A post-apocalyptic/war slice-of-life focused on two girls riding around in a small truck? Normally this wouldn’t be my fare, but in Ryokou it just works. There are a lot of reasons for this. First, the two characters play off of each other very well. There’s rarely a wasted word, with one clearly enjoying talking more than the other.That combined with their silent communication makes it clear they have done this for awhile, there’s a history to their actions. Second Ryokou tells its world through its environment, with a destroyed industrial city, scattered weapons and snow covered metal. It’s so bleak, yet the colored night sky makes it beautiful. Everything feels abandoned and the complete lack of people aside from our leads Chito and Yuuri go a long way in helping this effect. Finally, there’s the design/direction of Ryokou. The detailed background with our almost childlike characters, with the occasional detailed shot of their hands or boots put in. The well-crafted CGI, unique camera angles like our shot spinning with a bullet fire at some cans. Everything about Ryokou shows the passion and skill that went into it. So long as the character interaction stays fresh, as everything hinges on Chito and Yuuri. Based on the ending of this first episode, I don’t think that will be a problem, so I can’t help but recommend Girls Last Tour.

Potential: 85%

Mario’s review

This show’s just tailor-made for me, I love absolutely everything about it. Cute girls in a dark, post-apocalyptic world with a light-hearted slice-of-life approach? Count me right in. The first strength of the show lies in its settings, the world that is void of people, only the remains of machinery, weapons lie around everywhere. This world is conveyed not by the info-dump, but by the empty atmosphere it produces. Not a single life beyond our two girls, all they do is riding around and looking for food. The strong chemistry between the two leads, Chito and Yuuri, make up for its second strength. They share a great bond together and they hold my attention throughout the first episode with how comfortable they are with each other, something that is important since they have to carry the show themselves. Thirdly, it’s the slice-of-life approach that we see them carry on with their lives, enjoy little moments they have. It helps that the direction also favors small moments, sometimes relies on off-screen actions, body gestures, or long zoom out from our protagonist. This show has such a well-crafted direction and it does feel cinematic, I tell ya. Finally, for those of you who worry that this show is an one-extended premise with little variations, this first episode focuses on one little theme at a time that still manage to pack an emotional little punch at the end. Girls Last Tour is a ride that worth taking.

Potential: 80%

Net-juu no Susume

Short Synopsis: A recently dismissed Salarywoman decides to get sucked into an MMORPG

AidanAK47’s review

This show has that aspect where the RPG is presented in this animated fashion from within, but the reality often shows the game to be rather simplistic visually. It’s understandable as it’s likely how the player happens to see that world but it does make me wonder as to what the reality version of certain scenes is. For example there is a scene where one of the characters goes up to the bar and is depressed. So did the player walk her up to the bar and play some sort of depressed gesture? Well ignoring the imaginary alternate reality game vision this is a nice show with a decent start. I really like that the protagonist is a woman in her twenties instead of some generic teenager.(Though as if some parody she makes a generic male teenager avatar to play as in the game) It’s a rather heartwarming story that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The animation isn’t the strongest but it works for the story. The question is where does this story go from here as I wonder just how this romance will develop between these two despite them playing opposite to their genders. Now that the woman is up to speed on how to play the game it’s a wonder as to just where the story will go from here. Still as of now I am rather curious.

Potential: 40%

Mario’s review

Net-juu has such a simple concept: a NEET girl who plays game online as a dude has a close encounter with an online girl who in real life is a working man. Yet, so far it’s adorable and charming. The main draw I believe is the lead characters who are in their twenties, as such they behave more believable and their social awkwardness feel more relatable. I also like how difference in arts between the real world and the fantasy game world. Fruits de Mer has a feel of escapist place and the real world is accordingly washout and down to earth. The chemistry between the two mains is rock solid here, it has a proper development and the cast so far is likable. Despite it, the production feels rough at times and I just hope the show doesn’t take too long for the two to meet in real life. Net-juu has a promising take-off, now let’s see how they will manage to fly and land safely.

Potential: 40%