Category: Some Quick First Impressions

Migi & Dali

Short Synopsis (Anilist): The boy’s name was Hitori. A stork brought the angel into the lives of a middle-aged couple who were not blessed with children. His parents were kind, his house spacious, and his meals hot. But to protect the happiness he had received, Hitori continued to hide an important secret from his parents…

I’ll admit, any show that opens playing Clare de lune over the scene of a murder on Christmas Eve automatically has my attention. Partly because I love the song, partly because it’s a ballsy way to start. Written by Nami Sano, the author of Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto, I had no idea what to think of Migi & Dali. Would it be a comedy with some dark undertones like Sakamoto? Or would it be more of a legitimate horror with some wackiness involved? Whatever it was, I knew it wouldn’t be “normal”. And after watching this pilot I can confidently say… I still have absolutely no idea what I just watched. This is easily one of the most unnerving series I have watched in a long time, from the way it presents itself to the very premise itself. It’s creepy in the same way a doll moving on its own is cute but you know it shouldn’t be doing what it is, that it shouldn’t work. That was sort of my experience with Migi & Dali. It’s completely harmless pranks, but it’s presented with incredibly sinister undertones. Combine that with an opening scene and an ED hinting at far more than we know and… Well I have to stick with it. I have to know, to stare into this abyss and see if it stares back into me. Hopefully it’ll be good and pay back my dedication.
Potential: 70%

A Playthrough of a Certain Dude’s VRMMO Life

Short Synopsis (Anilist): Tanaka Taichi is just an ordinary 38-year-old who enjoys video games. He starts a new virtual reality multiplayer game called One More Free Life Online, naming his character Earth. Unlike his fellow players, he decides to master the most menial of skills in the game. He cooks the finest meals, overbrews complicated potions, and hunts monsters with handmade weapons. His fantasy life begins!

Certain Dude has the unfortunate problem of airing in the same season as Shangri-la. As a fellow VRMMO Isekai anime, the two are inevitably going to be compared to each other. And unsurprisingly, Certain Dude does not come out well. I could talk about the bland visuals, the dull narration, the mediocre characterization of basically everyone we see, even how they are blatantly color coded. Instead however I’ll just point you to the single comparison between these two shows that epitomizes their differences: The character creation process. Where Shangri-la’s was full of life, color, movement, and actual jokes, Certain Dude’s was 2 minutes of absolutely nothing. And that sort of comparison extends from the leveling process to the combat. In other seasons, maybe you could have some fun with it. But in Fall 2023 I see absolutely no reason to give this a second glance.
Potential: 0%

I’m in Love with the Villainess

Short Synopsis (Anilist): The world turns upside down when a corporate drone wakes up as Rae Taylor, the heroine in her favorite otome game, Revolution. Rae is elated at the opportunity to court Claire François, the game’s villainess and the object of her affection. Armed with her knowledge of the game and events to come, Rae sets out to make Claire fall for her. But how will the villainess take Rae’s romantic advances?

This is… fine? Villianous didn’t waste any time on any bullshit, jumping right in with being stuck in the game and the professions of love. Admittedly romance isn’t my favorite genre, but I’m always down for one from the girls perspective, especially one that plays it as straight as Villainous appears to be. And by straight I mean that the lead knows exactly what they want from the start, no pussy footing around the subject. It’s also a little funny how easily the “lead boys” are brushed aside, as well as our lead being a hardcore masochist. Usually this is presented in a much creepier fashion, but here it’s treated much more light heartedly. Overall Villainous seems cute, I had a bit of fun with how earnest the romance was without any creepy or ecchi bits. If you like romance more than I do, or are specifically looking for a Lesbian one, this would probably be a good bet for you. As for me? Not really up my alley, even if I understand why some could appreciate it.
Potential: 35%

The Family Circumstances of the Irregular Witch

Short Synopsis (Anilist): When witch Alyssa found a baby on her doorstep, she didn’t expect her life to take a topsy-turvy turn. Despite her bewilderment, she names the child Viola and decides to raise her. Fast-forward 16 years, and her “daughter” Viola isn’t just taller—she’s towering! Join this bewitching duo in a hilariously chaotic journey of mistaken identities and supernatural shenanigans!

So I’ll admit, when I first heard of this show I got the roles completely mixed up. I thought the buxom tall bombshell was the witch while the short blonde was the daughter, a fair assumption I think. So watching these 2 episodes and being corrected on that, as well as learning that the girl with tits the size of her head was 16. Sadly I can’t say this is a welcome change, because it sets the show up to be a lot… weirder down the line. It also doesn’t help that, and I will freely admit this, a fluffy slice of life fantasy isn’t really my wheelhouse. Still if it can keep away from the ecchi and focus on the more “found family” aspect and hijinks as it seems to be doing, I think some of you SoL enjoyers will be able to have a decent time with it. I know one friend who’s already drooling over Viola too, the weirdo.
Potential: 20%

SHY

Short Synopsis (Anilist): On the brink of a third World War, superheroes appeared on Earth. Gifted with powers, their appearance brings peace to the world. The heroes each selected a country in which they would reside, serve, and protect its citizens. Shy is Japan’s hero, endowed with super strength. Her most daunting enemy yet? Crippling shyness. Join Shy and her super friends as she defends Earth and gains confidence!

So SHY is basically super heroes, complete with a Justice League style space station, with a bit of Magical Girl and Madoka Magica thrown in. Ok maybe I’m reaching with that last one, but nothing you say or do will convince me to trust the flying mascot pokemon named ABO. Anyways, my initial impressions of SHY are… disinterest? Unlike other hero stories, like My Hero Academia, this is a much more traditional hero setting where only a select few have powers. Our main heroine, Shy, also isn’t particularly interesting on her own, the most compelling part of her story/the episode coming more from her treatment on social media and the age-old comic book question of “Why are heroes heroes”. If that was the subject of the show, if we were going to stick to more street-level conflict ala Spider-Man I could get into it. But already SHY is setting us up for a globe spanning conflict that it hasn’t yet earned. Maybe that will change as we go, I know some friends absolutely adore SHY, and so for them I’m going to give it a few more episodes. But my initial impression is that there are better action shows this season and better super hero media out there in general.
Potential: 25%

Ron Kamonohashi’s Forbidden Deductions

Short Synopsis (Anilist): Ron Kamonohashi was once regarded as a genius at the top detective training academy. But after a fatal mistake, he was expelled and forbidden to become a detective. Years later, police officer Totomaru Isshiki knocks on Ron’s door seeking help on a serial murder case. He finds Ron, now a messy-haired recluse, who agrees. Together, this mismatched detective team begins solving their first mystery!

Ron suffers from the fate of many detective shows in that it’s an ultimately dull plot that tries to sail entirely off of the leads dynamic. Except the leads are always the same “Regular person” and “Eccentric genius”. The guy even has his own “I figured it out” pose. Yet unlike shows like last seasons Undead Murder Farce, this one doesn’t have any sort of supernatural element to sort of make it… pop. It ends up as a rather dull series of random deductions and cold reading that don’t actually make a lot of sense when you put them all together. And that’s a shame! To me detective/mystery shows are at their best when the clues are laid out in such a way that the audience is able to solve the mystery too. Where audience participation and investment is rewarded. But Ron doesn’t feel like that kind of mystery. Instead it’s a “I connected the dots you didn’t even know about because I never gave them to you” kind. And to me that’s disappointing. Still, if you just want some hot guys solving mysteries together it has that, plus it might improve once it really gets going. I don’t expect it to ending, but maybe!
Potential: 10%

Overtake!

Short Synopsis (Anilist): Haruka Asahina is a 16 year old high school boy racing F4 cars while staying at Komaki Motos, an auto-body shop in Shizuoka prefecture. Komaki Motors is a family-run shop that regularly competes in F4 with the team comprised of: owner Futoshi Komaki who is also a mechanic, his daughter Mako Komaki, and now Haruka Asahina. Because this is a family-run business, they receive no support usually from any major manufacturers. Haruka Asahina boldly confronts the top teams head-on to get the attention of these revered companies in hopes of making it to the podium himself.

Here we have the first of two racing anime not only of the season, but of this very post. Starting off, I wasn’t expecting much from Overtake. The CGI cars look meh, which they usually do, as do the flat racetrack/ground textures. Yet in spite of this something about the way Overtake was shot just… It felt passionate to me. The focus on the human element of racing, the emotions involved, etc. For example, my favorite shot of the entire episode was just of Haruka standing on the sidelines watching as all the cars flew past him. The sheer loneliness and dissatisfaction in that one image alone, with how it was framed, was incredible. And the fact we watch it all from the sidelines, our lead character being a photographer with his own issues and trauma rather than the racer, it makes it hit for me.We’re watching it from the sidelines yeah, but those sidelines are still Koya’s own perspective, so we aren’t really separated from the action despite not truly being involved. I have no idea if Overtake has enough going on to keep my interest for the entire season. But what I do know is that it’s earned another few episodes from me.
Potential: 60%

MF Ghost

Short Synopsis (Anilist): Self-driving cars are in widespread use in Japan, and public roadways are used for auto racing. In such an era, a race called MFG has become popular around the globe. Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini… Participants are invited to race with their fastest cars. One such participant, a British racing school graduate, Kanata Rivington, returns to Japan to achieve his goal.

For our second racing show of the season we have MF Ghost. This one is a lot less emotional than Overtake. All of the character stuff is mostly teen bullshit and setup for the race, nothing particularly interesting. There’s a bit about a missing father but really, who cares? We have no stake in either the dad or the son yet. And the female lead kind of walks back her only defining character trait almost immediately upon meeting him? Plus the odd amount of sexualization she gets as a highschooler, it’s a little weird. As for the racing, I wish I could tell you but we didn’t actually get any of it this week. What kind of racing show doesn’t lead with the racing? Especially one known for being so energetic and upbeat about it as Initial D, the series this is the successor to? Suffice to say I’m not particularly enthused. If I have to pick a racing anime this season, it’s going to be Overtake, and it isn’t even close.
Potential: 30%

Berserk of Gluttony

Short Synopsis (Anilist): Fate Graphite was born into a world where magical skills shape your destiny. His skill is Gluttony, a seemingly useless curse of unending hunger that has left him shunned and looked down upon. Until one day, after he takes the life of a thief, his true power awakens: he can devour the skill of anyone he kills to feed his appetite. Will he learn to control this gruesome ability for the better?

Ah, here’s the basic edgy fantasy series I was expecting from Ragna Crimson. It has everything from stats and unique skills to blatantly evil asshole knights with no redeeming qualities and a holier than thou waifu’s. And judging by the PV and the banner our MC is going to get a couple other Waifu’s to join his harem as the series goes on. At least it’s not diving into slavery or trying to justify child grooming. It can’t resist touching on those by the end, but at least it doesn’t justify or lean into them. I’m not going to beat around the bush, Gluttony is lowest common denominator shlock, or maybe slightly above that. There’s nothing particularly interesting in it, it doesn’t look great, nothing about it screams “watch me”. At best it’s good for brain-off popcorn viewing, which if that’s your thing more power to ya. Personally? I don’t have the time to waste on something like this
Potential: 1%

Ragna Crimson

Short Synopsis (Anilist): Dragons reign terror over the earth, sea and sky. If sworn dragon hunters like Ragna are to have any hope of dealing death to these seemingly invincible, fire-breathing beasts, they must find a way to level the odds. Ragna teams up with a mysterious man named Crimson who has likewise sworn to stand against the dragons menacing the world. But although Crimson’s motivations may be mysterious, his goal and Ragna’s perfectly align, and together they’ll fight to vanquish the dragons once and for all.

I’ll be honest, if this were a regular length premier Ragna Crimson would have lost me. The first half was some pretty standard isekai fantasy bullshit, except without the isekai, that I had 0 interest in. I mean, just look at all of those shitty anime tropes like 12 year old waifus that act nothing like a 12 year old, crazy tragic backstories and setup for said waifu dying to inspire our MC. But as we enter the 2nd half Ragna Crimson starts to shift from a standard tale of edgy MC revenge crap to a weirder, slightly more interesting one of time travel, regret, and tragedy. That’s kinda cool! I was pleasantly surprised that, despite still being an OPMC fantasy tale, Ragna Crimson wasn’t just following the standard cookie cutter template. I have no idea how it will hold up, as a lot of what makes it compelling is Future!Ragna’s feelings of regret and how they affect Past!Ragna. However if Ragna Crimson can lean into this alienation, this idea that even when saving those he cares for Ragna is still alone because he’s no longer the same person, then I think this could be worth some time. Guess we will have to wait and see, but its at least earned an episode 2 from me.
Potential: 40%

Firefighter Daigo: Rescuer in Orange

Short Synopsis (Anilist): Toake Daigo burns with remarkable talent and unparalleled determination. Onoda Shun struggles against the walls blocking his own path. Nakamura Yuki hopes to become one of the few female members of the special rescue corps known as “Orange.” When these three young firefighters who share the goal of becoming members of Orange come together, the story of how Japan will one day be saved begins… and what looms before them is a crisis that endangers the entire country!

You know, as clearly pandering as the concept is, I’m down for a show to celebrate our public servants who put their lives on the line for everyday people. It’s a solid idea with a lot of room to teach people about the job, inspire others to look at the career, and generally bring some attention to it and its risks. So it’s such a shame that Firefighter Daigo is just so… bland. From its visual presentation to the narrative, I’m just not pulled in by it. I wouldn’t say Firefighter Daigo looks bad, it doesn’t. The designs are fine, it moves fine, the coloring is fine. The proportions are a bit more adult, “realistic”, as far as anime goes. Meanwhile the narrative so far is a classic 0 to hero, start at basic training, rise up together sort of thing. There’s nothing I can point to in Firefighter Daigo as outright bad. But there’s also nothing I can point to that inspires me either, nothing passionate. It’s like it was made by committee, with no one on it being truly interested in the subject. Maybe that’ll change as it goes, I’ll give it a bit to find out. As far as first episodes go though, I’m not that enthused.
Potential: 20%

Shangri-la Frontier

Short Synopsis: A retro game otaku finally tries out the newest high-end MMO on the market and immediately gets sucked in, having the most fun he’s had in a long time.

Shangri-la should not be good. It’s a video-game MMO style isekai with an OPMC. This is the most basic sort of anime you can get. And yet… It’s a lot of fun. Most of that has to do with the production, which so far is great. Not quite at Frieren’s level, Shangri-la has still put a lot of care and detail into the world, characters and movement. From small stuff like condensation on a can to the MC jumping around and climbing trees in a forest, it looks good. Good enough that it kept me interested throughout the episode at least. I can’t say that the story is particularly interesting yet, as that’s still a rather straightforward MMO plot of “I’m gonna play the game because it’s fun”. We don’t even have a real story beyond that, no real driving force other than enjoying the game. But there’s enough fun moments, like kicking the annoying NPC party member or messing around with stats, that I’m willing to give it a chance and see where it goes. At the very least if it can keep up this production and comedy, I’ll have a good time.
Potential: 65%

My Daughter Left the Nest and Returned an S-Rank Adventurer

Short Synopsis: An S-Rank adventurer wants nothing more than to visit home and see her father, but work keeps popping up and people keep needing saving. Just how hard is it for a hero to get a break?

This one was actually kinda cute. No world-destroying demons, no overpowered bland-faced protagonists, no isekai bullshit. Just a young girl trying to visit home despite all the work that keeps popping up. Despite its high-fantasy nature, it’s actually pretty relevant to real life. That desire to see and be with family and the inability to do so because of adult responsibilities. Split that core emotion into 2 separate stories, Ange’s young working life and Bel’s country nostalgic musing, and you have a solid little fantasy family show. My only gripe is that the production seems to be rather weak. The action is dull, the movements stiff. It’s really carried by the character’s emotions and desire to see each other again. And even that I doubt S-Rank will be able to keep up for its entire run time. It’s going to have to transition into something else sooner or later. I can only hope it has that same familial core to whatever high fantasy adventure it drags this father/daughter pair into.
Potential: 50%

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

Short Synopsis: The adventure is over, the heroes return home, time passes and friends age. All except for Frieren, the elven mage destined to long outlive her companions, who must now face how little she truly valued the time she spent with them.

So right off the bat Frieren is cheating a bit by releasing effectively 4 episodes at once for its premier. Luckily that doesn’t matter though, because these aren’t 4 “basic” episodes. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if each one of these 4 were, individually, better than any other premier I watch in the coming days. Everything about it is just so… good. The art style and animation is gorgeous, having just the right amount of detail and personality to draw you in without being so complex no one is allowed to move. The pacing is patient and methodical, giving scenes room to breathe, Frieren isn’t in a rush to go anywhere. And the stories? God I cannot believe how well Freiren captured Frieren’s elven indifference, how little time means to her and how easily she can be sidetracked because of it, as well as the consequences such an attitude has on her relationships with others. I love the dichotomy of how short that 10 year adventure was, but how much it meant. How all these random spells she learns end up meaning something special to her, from spawning flowers her leader loves or turning grapes sour since her friend enjoys them to a demon’s magic being outpaced by the passage of time. You can see how much they mean to her, despite her outward indifference, and how important the idea of Time is to the story. Simply put, it’s really really solid, and I wasn’t expecting that. I’m a little concerned about this journey to the north, but the fact that it’s retreading the same adventure she took over 80 years ago means it’ll probably still be very emotional. I hope so at least, because Frieren has set some high expectations with this premier.
Potential: 95%

A Girl & Her Guard Dog

Short Synopsis: A young girl is raised by her Yakuza grandfather and one of his men. Now she’s grown up and attending highschool, only to find that the same Yakuza is attending as well to keep her safe and away from boys!

A friend of mine wrote something about Guard Dog that I can’t help but agree with: “If this was a feel good Slice of Life I would love it, but since I know it’s a romance that just makes it weird”. While Slice of Life isn’t my genre, Guard Dog would definitely be better served as one. Make it a feel good show about a shy girl trying to make normal friends in a normal school while her overprotective Yakuza guardian scares them all away, eventually realizing his little girl is growing up and doesn’t need him anymore. Instead what we get is some weird sort of age-gap grooming romance where the guy is twice her age, has raised her since she was a child, and actively prevents her from mingling with her peers. It’s all just so weird and the knowledge this is a romance tints every interaction they have, every scene they are in. Maybe some will be able to look past the whole “This guy has raised her since grade school” and just see the admittedly cute/moe interactions the two have. Add in a decent art style, I do actually like the line work and designs, and I’d understand why someone would enjoy it. Personally though? I can’t get into a groomer romance.
Potential: 5%

Zom 100: Zombie ni Naru Made ni Shitai 100 no Koto

Short Synopsis (Anichart): Surviving a zombie apocalypse beats being a wage slave any day! After spending years slaving away for a soul-crushing company, Akira’s life has lost its luster. He lives in a trash-filled apartment, his pay is abysmal, and he can’t even muster up the nerve to confess his love to his beautiful co-worker. But when a zombie apocalypse ravages his town, it gives him the push he needs to live for himself. Now Akira’s on a mission to complete all 100 items on his bucket list before he…well, kicks the bucket.

Lenlo: Zom 100 was just about everything I was hoping for. It’s a fun, colorful romp that’s all about pushing back on the work-obsessed culture of the modern world and retaking that which makes us human. It’s disgusting in a few ways, has some really gross body horror with the zombies. But the bright colors and, at times beautiful, animation really helps offset that. I have some concerns with how the female interest was handled, but that seems like a one-off episode specific plot and I’m more then willing to overlook it. Overall I just loved this episode, from the monotone work life to the MC breaking through the very color palette/bars that constrained the entire episode. Easily one of the most interesting premiers of the season
Potential: 90%

Helck

Short Synopsis (Anichart): A certain country in the demon world. The Demon King was defeated by the hands of one of the heroes, and a competition was held for the title of the New Demon King. The Imperial Four Heavenly Kings Vermilio, who is in charge of the tournament, is furious at the participation of the human hero Helck, who is supposed to be her enemy. After receiving news of the fall of the castle of Urum before the final, Vermilio sets out to retake Urum Castle with Helck and other finalists. With a smile, Helck says, “Let’s destroy humans.” Are those words true? The truth behind the smile is…

Lenlo: Unsurprisingly, Helck was about as fun as I thought it would be. It has the good natured fun I initially enjoyed but is already laying the groundwork for the more serious, or well serious by a comedies standards at least, story that kept me reading. The production wasn’t all that great sadly. But I think that Helck has enough going for it to be worth enjoying.
Potential: 65%

BLEACH: Sennen Kessen-hen – Ketsubetsu-tan

Short Synopsis (Anichart): The second part of BLEACH: Sennen Kessen-hen.

Lenlo: Look, it’s BLEACH. You know what this is about. Even by the end of the previous season we were already starting to see the down-turn in the arc’s story. The whole thing is awkward and you can feel Tite Kubo forcing things to keep the series going. The real question to me isn’t whether or not the overarching story will be good, it won’t, but whether it can produce enough fun hype moments to make the series worth watching. And that, at least, I think BLEACH can pull off.
Potential: 30%

AI no Idenshi

Short Synopsis (Anichart): Humanity’s dream… Crystal humanoid technology. They have ‘illnesses’ just like humans but the treatment options are quite different.

Lenlo: I’m really not sure what to think of AI no Idenshi. I’m always down for sci-fi, especially attempts at ones centered around AI and transhumanism. Studying it myself, it’s an interesting subject and one I’d love for anime to tackle properly. And so far at least, Ai no Idenshi is hitting right up that alley. The implications of backing up personalities and selling them off as effectively perpetual slaves, how a backup and the real person might not want the same thing/be the same person after some time passes, how access to such technology can change a person. Even how humans are sometimes more monstrous than the machines. It’s all rather interesting! My concern is that anime really hasn’t given me much reason to trust its ability to hold the course/keep the narrative quality consistent until the end. Some, like Psycho Pass succeed but are more dystopian sci-fi than head on transhumanism, while others, like Vivy and Ex-Arm, are just outright terrible. Hopefully Ai no Idenshi, despite its lackluster visuals, can hold strong and not get in over its head.
Potential: 55%

Liar Liar

Short Synopsis (Anichart): A mind game of lies and deceit begins! At Academy Island, students battle in Games to win stars, hoping to earn the prestigious title “Seven Star.” Sarasa is last year’s champion and is on track to win again until Hiroto, a new transfer student, hits the scene. Surprisingly, Hiroto defeats her by sheer luck! Now, he must use bluffs and trickery to stay on top.

Lenlo: Ok so it’s like… Kakegurui or whatever. Except it’s an entire island, and we wager arbitrary stars and shit. This could be fun? The lead girl isn’t a complete bitch, which is nice, and the twist with her name was actually really cool. Meanwhile the lead is a loser failing upwards while hating every second of it, which I enjoy. Reminds me of Ciaphas Cain in some ways, just with less Grimdark. The abilities and everything is a bit much, I’m not huge on how it’s over complicating what could otherwise be simple but engaging games of skill. But the lead MC is really doing it for me, I love “failing upwards” sort of characters, and the ending of “Literally all of this is one big misunderstanding and didn’t need to happen” was great. So maybe this will be fun for me! At the very least I want to give it a try.
Potential: 60%

Level 1 dakedo Unique Skill de Saikyou desu

Short Synopsis (Anichart): Satou Ryouta, a salaryman working for an exploitative company, suddenly finds himself inside an unfamiliar dungeon in a strange world where monsters drop all sorts of items as loot. With the help of a girl he happens to run into named Emily, he’s able to check his own stats… and finds that all of them, both physical and magical, are at rank F (the weakest)! What’s more, his level is stuck at 1 (the lowest)! Ryouta is on the verge of utter despair… but then he learns that he also has “Drop Skill: All S,” the most powerful unique skill there is! Can Ryouta manage to survive in this bizarre world?! The strongest and weakest adventure of all is about to begin!

Amun: Hey, I think that’s a very long barrel Colt Python in the poster! That’s crazy, since you normally see S&Ws used as the revolvers in anime. What’s weird is the manga predates the Python re-release (which was in 2020) – that just means the mangaka is a fan of that gun in particular. Except he’s got a S&W grip on it…oh well. The episode? Yeah, I didn’t finish it.
Potential: 0%

Lenlo: Ah yes, another seasonal isekai, though one of the more uninspired of the season. In fact I would go so far as to say it’s one of the most basic, dull, boring isekai I’ve watched in a long time. The premise, the characters, the world, it’s all just so incredibly… bland. Like not a single shred of creativity was put into any of it, not even how a random bunny girl in a playboy outfit shacking up with the MC goes down.
Potential: 0%

Nanatsu no Maken ga Shihai Suru

Short Synopsis (Anichart): It’s springtime at Kimberly Magic Academy, and new students are beginning their first year. Among them are a skilled and studious boy, Oliver, and a headstrong samurai girl, Nanao. They soon form a unique bond in the halls of Kimberly, but this picturesque school isn’t what it seems. Dark secrets and endless danger lurk behind every corner. Can these wizards make it to graduation alive?!

Amun: Woah – this was loads better than I expected. Coming off last season’s “Mashle”, maybe this is a new wave of Hogwarts anime? I don’t hate bringing a samurai into a clearly Western magical school, and there’s obviously a ton going on behind the scenes. I’m sensing something of a “Eminence in the Shadow” type show here – but probably a lot less self-aware humor. That said, the visuals are okay and the characters are interesting enough – I’ll give this at least a few more. There’s always at least one show per season that surprises me, and “Nanatsu no Maken” might be it!
Potential: 50%

Lenlo: Ok so I went from Kakegurui to Harry Potter, complete with a Ron and Hermoine. What a leap. Similar to Amun, this was shockingly better than I expected, but that isn’t saying much. I was expecting something on the level of The Irregular at Magic Highschool or something, which this is most certainly better than. Still I can’t say I was excited by it. Something about the random samurai/sword focus just makes it feel… Well like a generic anime fantasy. Like they can’t bring themselves to separate from the basics of anime in the pursuit of something different, like say Little Witch Academia did. I just feel like I should be watching that instead of this if I wanted a Harry Potter clone. Least the samurai girl is kinda jacked.
Potential: 30%

Eiyuu Kyoushitsu

Short Synopsis (Anichart): The story is set in Rosewood Academy, a school that trains future heroes destined to protect mankind. The school accepts only those with the most potential. Arnest Flaming, a girl who boasts the top record in the academy, is assigned to guide a mysterious but cheerful new student named Blade who rivals her own power.

Amun: Woah – this was way worse than I expected. Unlike the above “Nanatsu no Maken”, “Eiyuu Kyoushitsu” is er, shit-su (har har). It’s a typical reincarnated hero (though I guess he’s half demon lord or something?) meets a classroom of unsuspecting normies. That’d be great, if this was 2018 – we’ve seen this formula before. There’s really nothing that special here in terms of characters, visuals, or story, so I’d say this one’s probably going into the bin of forgotten seasonals for me.
Potential: 25%

Dekiru Neko wa Kyou mo Yuuutsu

Short Synopsis (Anichart): When Saku took in a stray black cat, she never expected that he would become the equivalent of a housekeeping life partner. But Yukichi, a giant cat who towers over Saku, is not your ordinary feline. He takes great pride in his culinary skills, and a good sale at the supermarket always gets his whiskers twitching. Saku may not have her act together yet, but at least she has Yukichi!

Amun: Ah, another GoHands crazy camera experience! This wasn’t as bad as their other show, but still – calm down with those camera angles. “Dekiru Neko” isn’t quite what I expected. I felt the floor was that slideshow Househusband and the ceiling of Dragon Maid. This is something else entirely. For starters, I’m not terribly happy that the giant cat doesn’t really talk – he just “tch”s. That’s honestly kind of annoying. I think the straight-man Saku is fine, but nothing special. There’s some early intrigue with the boss (plus the neighbors who have all just accepted this giant cat living there), but we’re probably in for a pretty tame, living-with-a-maid simulator. Honestly, the fact that there’s a show like this every couple seasons kind of worries me for Japan…you guys might need to do something about that individual isolation.
Potential: 30%

Lenlo: Jesus Christ someone stop giving GoHands money. Free their animators from the hell they have been forced into. Their shows are so close to looking fine, but they always slap these weird filters or stupid camera shots onto every scene for no better reason than because they can. It’s simultaneously impressive and infuriating. Like… I can’t even remember what this show was like narratively, all I can think of is the complete mess that is its production. Who thinks this looks good? Not me, that’s for sure.
Potential: GoHands must be stopped

TenPuru

Short Synopsis (Anichart): “I know! I’ll become a monk!” Akagami Akemitsu has spent his days and nights absorbed in studying and part-time work in an effort to distance himself from his family, which is notorious as a household of philanderers. One day, he falls in love at first sight with a girl named Aoba Yuzuki, and suddenly he’s constantly drowning in worldly desires. Hoping to fight back against his genes and live a more stoic life, he enters a temple… only to find out that it’s a convent filled with gorgeous girls! So begins a new rom-com about the temple life of three adorable triplets and two beautiful freeloaders!

Lenlo: You know what, as stupid and wish-fulfillment ecchi bullshit as this premise is, I chuckled a few times. Something about the idea of a monk actively trying to avoid worldly desires and sex, rather than simping over women 24/7, is funny to me. Don’t get me wrong, TenPuru is still ecchi trash bullshit with an opening shot of nothing but scantily clad women. Do not go into this expecting some kind of clever or high-brow comedy, it’s not. But you might get a few chuckles out of it like I did. For an episode or two at least.
Potential: 5%

Amun: I mean, I’ve seen worse. Like this season – there’s plenty of worse anime. But…there are also better ones. It comes down to how much you like the waifu character designs, since the premise is abysmally stupid. Shows like these are entirely about service, and “TenPuru” seems passable there. You know what you’re here for, so if this fills that slot for ya, go for it.
Potential: 10%

Higeki no Genkyou to Naru Saikyou Gedou Last Boss Joou wa Tami no Tame ni Tsukushimasu.

Short Synopsis (Anichart): Pride Royal Ivy is only eight years old when she realizes that she’s been reincarnated, destined to become the future wicked queen and final boss of an otome game. She’s got it all in this new life: razor-sharp wit, boss-tier powers, and influence over the kingdom as crown princess. Determined to sow despair and destruction across the land, she… Wait, what kind of a rotten future is that?! Princess Pride decides to drop the maniacal villainess plan and protect the male love interests instead, cheating her way to saving everyone she can! Will this final boss end up earning the adoration of her kingdom?

Lenlo: Ah, another “Reincarnate into an otome game” series. If I had a dollar for every time this has happened… Well I’d have like 3 dollars, but it’s really weird that it’s happened that many times. I suppose this is the new Isekai trend, and in a lot of ways I’m down for it. It’s a different, if not terribly unique, take on the genre and lends itself to a lot of amusing possibilities. For instance here there aren’t really a lot of OP powers, well there’s the precognition but that’s really just having played the game,, it’s more about being given the role of a villain and trying to avoid the otherwise inevitable ending they are destined for. That’s kind of nice. It’s still not really my thing, as it’s like watching a dating sim from the other direction, but I can see some people having fun with it.
Potential: 40%

Amun: It’s been a coinflip with these kinds of villainous isekai – but “Lastame” (as it’s apparently called) has potential. Nothing fancy in the plot, but I think the character switching from being a spoiled brat to a caring monarch after the isekai revelation is solid. Also interesting is the in-world mechanic of precognition, which allows the MC’s abilities to not be questioned – that’s a nice touch. Generally speaking, this is an obvious reverse-harem where our lead doesn’t understand everyone’s falling in love with her, but hey, that’s par for the course. The question is in execution, and from what we’ve seen this first episode, I think I’ll stick around for a few more.
Potential: 60%

Jidou Hanbaiki ni Umarekawatta Ore wa Meikyuu wo Samayou

Short Synopsis (Anichart): After dying in a traffic accident, I find myself standing near an unfamiliar lake. My body won’t move, I can’t hear my voice, and when I try to shout in confusion, words that I never expected come out! “Get one free with a winner.” I-it seems I’ve turned into a vending machine…! I can only do what actual vending machines can. It’s impossible to move by myself, and there’s no way for me to have any meaningful conversation-how am I going to survive some fantasy world’s dungeon like this?!

Amun: I mean, the vending machine isekai was exactly what it said on the tin. This is almost EXACTLY the same start as “Reincarnated as a Sword”….except Mr. Sword (I guess his name was Teacher) was way more overpowered. Poor vending machine-chan could only barrier away those mean amphibians (or reptiles? Who knows). The mechanics, the relationships, the progression all feels very standard – the only originality seems to be using a vending machine instead of a person. And that would be pretty unique….except we just saw it with a sword a few seasons back. Also, this guy was a vending machine otaku? I guess that’s not that weird – if you’ve not yet had the good fortune to experience Japanese vending machines, they’re pretty great. If those got adopted universally, I wouldn’t complain at all. (Although the corn soup love is a mystery to me). What do I think of them in an isekai? I guess it could be good, but there’s nothing else special aside from that so far in “Hanbaiki”
Potential: 35%

Lenlo: You know what, I can appreciate the meme of Hanbaiki. A vending machine otaku reincarnated into one in a fantasy world? It’s just so god damn stupid I can’t help but chuckle a little. Like… the guy is so earnest about it that I can’t help but be amused. And it really went all in on the stupidity giving him stats, changing what he sells, spending points to power himself, etc. Will it be interesting enough to last for an entire season? Probably not, it’s a gag series. But for a one off episode, maybe up to 3, I imagine this will be some good fun. And if it turns into more? Well you know what, Hanbaiki earned it at that point.
Potential: 50%

Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan (2023)

Short Synopsis (Anichart): Re-adaptation of the main manga series.

Lenlo: Look, I maintain that Kenshin does not actually need this reboot. The original series was great, I never really saw what they could hope to add with this new one. And now after watching it? I’m confident that the answer is actually nothing. In fact it seems to be actively taking things away, as this reboot lacks so much of the charm of the original. Maybe this is just my nostalgia glasses from loving this series in the past, but while this modern version is visually cleaner it feels like they also cleansed a lot of the soul from it. Like in their quest to tighten up character interactions and such they lose the core of what made those relationships work. Plus while I don’t blame them for having to change the VAs, it’s been 20 years, I do think the new ones aren’t really hitting what made these characters work. I’ll watch it obviously, see if it manages to improve and find its footing. After all, the original wasn’t perfect at first either, only really showing its strengths after the first few villains came along. But if it can’t catch my attention by the time Saito shows up? I’m out.
Potential: 25%, Maybe 40% without my nostalgia glasses?

Jujutsu Kaisen 2nd Season

Short Synopsis (Anichart): The second season of Jujutsu Kaisen.

Amun: Ahhhh – I probably should have watched the movie before the season started. I did this last season with Dr. Stone, so you’d figure I’d learn my lesson. This is an episode of two halves – the first half was a weirdly textured Eternity Devil from CSM. The second half was JJK: Retro edition. I liked the latter much better, and fortunately that looks to be what’s in store for the first half of this season. I’m an anime only, so I’m honestly a tiny bit confused about who everyone is here, but I’ve identified the two main people (and, someone please help me out – is that girl related to Nobara from the main series at all? Or do they just have similar character designs?). Bottom line – JJK has always been more visual than cerebral, so as long as it keeps looking good, I’m here for it.
Potential: 75%

Lenlo: Let’s be honest here, this is Jujutsu Kaisen, you know what to expect. The show looks really good, some funky composites here and there as they continue to obsess over 3D environments, but generally it’s one of the better produced shows of the season. That should come as no surprise. What was surprising to me though was how much I enjoyed all of the little details of the episode. The character interactions, their relationships, a lot of the jokes etc. From what I remember, a lot of that is anime original too! I get that this is a flashback arc, and that it’s very different from what we will get later on, but so far Hidden Inventory is the best Jujutsu Kaisen has ever felt for me. The only concern I have with the season is the 2nd half, as I already know I don’t love the Shibuya arc nearly as much as many of the fans do. My hope is that it will look good and be a fun time at least, but for that we will have to wait and see if the production falls apart like it did in Season 1. Only time will tell on that, but for now I’m going to enjoy this 1st arc as much as I can.
Potential: 85%