Fall 2022 Impressions: Tensei Shitara Ken Deshita, Uchi no Shishou wa Shippo ga Nai, I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss

Tensei Shitara Ken Deshita

Short Synopsis: A man dies and is reincarnated as a sword in an RPG world, where he learns tons of sweet skills and is eventually wielded by a catgirl.

Wooper: Of all the fantasy anime to abuse the “RPG menu screens” trope, I think this one abuses it the hardest. There were around 25 shots here with no function except to list the abilities and levels of the show’s sentient sword protagonist, which typically required the use of the entire frame. Interestingly, though, this practice didn’t distract much from the flow of the episode, since its story revolved almost entirely around killing monsters and gaining their skills. There’s something satisfying about watching a sword fly through the air and run through enemies of its own volition, especially when the 3DCG used in its animation is so slick. The fun came to a screeching halt, though, during any scenes where his future wielder Fran appeared on screen. A catgirl, former slave, and now devoted follower of some guy who was reincarnated into her world just last week, Fran represents many of the things I dislike about modern fantasy series. It’s great that she’s free of bondage and ready to take fate into her own hands and all, but there’s no way a story this thin is equipped to make her anything more than a mascot. Even if her menu screens go berserk with experience points, she’ll be trapped in an anime that was never anything more than a telepathic sword simulator.
Potential: 10%

Amun: Oh come on now Wooper, this wasn’t that bad. One of my pet peeves on the new influx of slave isekais is how life-long slaves just behave perfectly normally without any trauma – Reincarnated as a Sword didn’t do that. Fran is clearly not reacting to the normal social/comedy cues, and I found myself appreciating that – it felt halfway realistic. Does it make for great dialogue throughout the rest of the show? Of course not, but this isn’t just your typical furry (or elf) maid slave that you’ll find in many other recent isekai. We’ll have to see if that’s a good thing or not. Some positives: the 3D animation was clean and as someone ambushed by the first episode of Goblin Slayer, I loved seeing the Goblin massacre. The story is very simple, but there’s a clear direction to it, so I’ll take what I can get. The biggest positive here is just the premise – a sentient sword off on an adventure is one I can’t recall having seen before. The downsides are pretty clear too. Without a doubt, as Wooper lamented, the wielder Fran is the weak link and will probably provide some quasi-service throughout. I don’t see this being anything other than a novelty show, but given isekai these days have to find some way to set themselves apart, I appreciate the effort. And the animation looks good (for now)!
Potential: 35%

Uchi no Shishou wa Shippo ga Nai

Short Synopsis: A young tanuki draws inspiration from a local rakugo performance after finding it tough to trick humans in the big city.

Wooper: Rakugo anime sure have it tough in the wake of Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju. Even when they belong to a completely different genre, as Ushi no Shishou does, their performance scenes will no doubt be compared to the mesmerizing stories found in that modern classic. Cutting away from the rakugoka mid-act to an imagined version of their tale seems like kids’ stuff, but to be fair, children may be Shishou’s target audience; there’s a segment after the ED that breaks down the episode’s (already simple) rakugo story for viewers who had trouble following it, which seems a very kid-friendly thing to do. Main character Mameda is a child, too (of the tanuki variety), and not the grating prodigy type, which might have been refreshing had the show been able to capture a country kid’s amazement at the bustle of early 20th century Osaka. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel it was successful in that task – both the human city of Osaka and the series’ supernatural elements (tanuki transformations, Daikokutei’s flying ship) were depicted rather plainly. There was a lot of emphasis on Mameda’s admiration for her prankster father, which led to her own desire to trick humans, but even that was consigned to flashbacks, and not particularly good ones. That’s the trouble with Uchi no Shisou – even though there’s nothing glaringly wrong with it, there’s nothing glaringly right, either.
Potential: 10%

Lenlo: Wooper isn’t wrong in anything he said. I feel like Shishou’s target audience is children, and it was very simplistic in its rakugo and presentation there of. But while he seems to have been bored by it, I found it a tad endearing. A little Tanuki being more confused and befuddled by the modern world than the humans were her tricks was cute, and the fox girl’s monologue on the passing of time and the old ways being forgotten to history was more poignant than I was expecting. It’s still not great, these totaled about 8 minutes of engagement in a 23 minute long episode. But I’m also not usually the kind of person to go for cutesy stuff, so Shishou had an uphill battle to win me over regardless. So yeah, for someone just looking for a cute, fluffy show this season, I expect you could do a whole lot worse than Shishou.
Potential: 20%

I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss

Short Synopsis: A girl dies and is reincarnated in her favorite otome game, where she must avert her deathly fate by seducing the Demon Lord.

Wooper: I’ve only watched the first of Villainess’s two available episodes, but I doubt the second one will do much to improve my initial impression of the series. It’s the hundredth anime in recent years to use the resurrection gimmick, putting an analog earthling (like you, the viewer) in a digital setting (like you, the viewer, play on your video game system of choice). As such, it has the privilege of skipping storytelling basics like characterization and setting establishment, since its intended audience is already familiar with the sorts of games it’s aping. Only this show seems to have missed the memo that it could skip all that, because it still goes about it in its own clumsy way – namely, tons of internal monologuing from its main character Aileen. These scenes held zero appeal for me, and the spoken dialogue was hardly any better, being ripped from both the reverse harem anime and otome game playbooks. Visually, the show manages to make nearly every one of its scenes a dull disappointment, with lazy brightness effects used in chandelier-lit balls and moonlit exterior scenes alike, and unimaginative layouts that had my eyes glazing over. The only redeeming factor anywhere in this first episode is a talking crow named Almond (voiced by Tomokazu Sugita), whose love of Aileen’s cookies gives him the sort of charm that no other character here can muster. If I were to die and be reincarnated in this anime, the first thing I’d do would be to find Almond and tell him to fly far, far away from this borefest.
Potential: 1%, strictly out of appreciation for Almond

Lenlo: Zzzz… Zzzz… Zzzz… Snrk! What? Where am I? What time is it? Am I still watching shitty video game isekai? Only this one is coached in some kind of period-drama dating sim? Except even with that slightly unique premise it still falls back on fantasy demon lord bullshit? Anime why. You had a shot here to do something new. Just make a video-game isekai but instead of RPG bullshit do a dating sim, complete with all the videogame trappings of the genre. Have some fun with it! Joke about routes, riff on it a bit and have some fun! Instead it just gives me exactly what Wooper says above: A dull, boring, whatever of a series.
Potential: 0%

Summer 2022 Impressions: Isekai Yakkyoku, Shine Post, The Devil is a Part-Timer S2

Isekai Yakkyoku

Short Synopsis: A medical researcher dies and is reincarnated in the body of a young mage.

Wooper: Seeing as I’m forbidden from complaining about this sort of anime for another 18 months, I’ve got to muster what few compliments I can about Isekai Yakkyoku. Let’s see… I guess I “liked” the POV flashback to the main character’s sister in the hospital, asking whether she’ll get better if she takes some medicine and goes to sleep, which was immediately followed by a scene of her funeral. I appreciate when an anime tells me how to feel, and this is one series that will never stop helping in that regard. The newly reincarnated protagonist’s quest to discover his magical powers was another bit I “liked,” especially nifty tricks like cutting to a silver platter (both literal and metaphorical) bearing an assortment of chemical compounds that he’s just generated off screen. What a hard worker our young hero is! The dinner scene where his new father quizzes him on the ingredients of an obscure ointment while his mother and sister sit around and look cute was also “good” characterization – you love to see it. “Best” of all, though, was the revelation that he has unlimited magical power, courtesy of a magical power-ometer that his sexy tutor happened to have on hand during their training session. Could anything be more promising? (Apart from a believable premise or a distinctive visual style, I mean.)
Potential: 0%

Amun: Okay, a former medical researcher is reincarnated with the name “Farma”…that’s a little on the nose, don’t you think? This lad also unironically firehosed out a window all over his maid. Lots of, erm, “symbolism” going on in this episode – Freud would have a field day. While I’m not in love with the character designs, the story itself is pleasant enough. Just don’t look for too much substance or you might hurt yourself. I wonder when a garbageman is going to get reincarnated and somehow use garbage collection to save the word. Still, it’s a passable enough isekai if you’re into that sort of thing – I certainly am. Also, I too recommend not grasping a veiny, throbbing “Divinometer” in front of anyone else…
Potential: 40%

Shine Post

Short Synopsis: A new manager with truth-o-vision partners with an unsuccessful idol trio.

Wooper: Idol shows have been a fixture of seasonal anime schedules for about a decade now, so at this point, unless they have “Love Live” or “Idolmaster” somewhere in their title, they typically need a noteworthy gimmick in order to stand out. We saw Kami Kuzu Idol go the ‘idol doesn’t want to be an idol’ route about a week ago, and now Shine Post is sort of taking the same approach, only instead of illustrating that concept with spirit possession, it’s going with lie-detecting eyesight. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather watch a show about a ghost possessing a guy during his dance sequences than one about a stodgy-looking manager who can see when people aren’t telling the truth. The hook is that one of the three girls in his new group isn’t lying when she says she wants to become a successful entertainer…and that’s it. She actually wants to be an idol, shock of all shocks. What does it say about Shine Post that the unfeigned enthusiasm of its would-be star is the basis of the show’s appeal? For me, it says that I’m entirely comfortable skipping its remaining episodes.
Potential: 0%

The Devil is a Part-Timer S2

Short Synopsis: Mortal enemies Hero and Demon King receive an unexpected Apple Baby to raise.

Amun: It’s been a decade of waiting. The OG reverse-isekai. And after all that time, the premiere…was alright? It was kind of weird, honestly – I watched this a decade ago, and while I’m quite different, their world is exactly the same. Well, not quite exactly – it’s pretty obvious that the visuals are being handled very differently. I’d say the character designs fall into the uncanny valley of similarity – close enough to tell who is who, but just slightly off enough to be jarring. I also was reminded of what I didn’t like in the original: Chi-can. Every second she’s on-screen, the show wanders away from the more interesting dynamic of Hero vs. Demon king. The new season’s premise is interesting enough – joint custody of mysterious portal baby. I’m just surprisingly worried about production and if there’s enough content here to carry an additional season. All in all, I guess I’m underwhelmed, but still happy Devil is back!
Potential: 60%

Mario: Can’t believe that it had to wait this long for a sequel, considering how popular the first season was. For me, I consider the series has one big joke, and the rest kinda repeats the same joke over and over. That is why the appearance of this new kid in a block (literally) is a much welcome change of pace. Not only it steers the show into a direction it has never ventured before (the Devil Lord and the Hero raising a child), the reaction of Yuusha and Maou will have new sparks as well. Visually it looks just standard, but the facial expressions are done fairly well. I’m looking forward for more to come.
Potential: 30%

Summer 2022 Impressions: Call of the Night, Isekai Ojisan, Extreme Hearts

Call of the Night

Short Synopsis: A disaffected middle schooler resolves to become a vampire by falling in love with one.

Lenlo: Well I found the seasonal waifu y’all, and this time I can say she’s actually kinda hot. People just need to let Kotoyama design all of their characters, or at least the women, because the guy is damn good at it. Beyond Nazuna being a choice cut, the rest of the show doesn’t look half bad either. I’m a fan of the neon color palette of the city night, and the angular features of all of the characters. On top of that, it’s just well directed in general. Lots of interesting camera angles and well paced shots. This is probably, visually, one of the better shows of the season for me. As for the story, I honestly have no idea what’s going on. Not why the night is so off limits, nor the whole seemingly hikikomori deal with our MC, not even the vampire nature of our lead girl. None of it makes sense, we just kind of get thrown into the middle of it. For a first episode that’s amusing enough, the dialogue especially was entertaining. I just have no idea where it’s going to go from here or what it’s going to do. Is this going to become a classic battle series with vampires? Or play it straight as a full on romance between our leads? Or maybe something else entirely?! I don’t know. But I’m intrigued enough to find out.
Potential: 70%

Wooper: There have been (and will be) a lot of disappointments this season, but I allowed myself some hope for Call of the Night (Yofukashi no Uta) upon seeing its Noitamina intro. Plenty of duds have emerged from the programming block over the last decade, but it was something for my optimism-starved brain to latch onto – and wouldn’t you know it, the episode turned out pretty well! I think my favorite thing about it is the restless storyboarding, which pitches a curveball at least once a minute. Claustrophobic fisheye lens shots, ultra wide angles, pushing characters to the edge of the frame – if Yofukashi could use it to depict the protagonist’s perplexity, it did so with abandon. Why was he so perplexed? Oh, romantic troubles at school, having his shoes vomited on by a middle aged man, being dragged back to the house of a strange woman who ended up being a vampire – the usual middle school stuff. I didn’t think I’d like the relationship between the human and vampire leads as much as I did, but he’s strange enough and she’s human enough that I enjoyed their back and forth. She loves the taste of his blood, sure, but she also enjoys the company of a fellow nightcrawler, as evidenced by her willingness to fly him around the city at night – a great final sequence for one of the few successes of the summer thus far.
Potential: 60%

UNCLE FROM ANOTHER WORLD

Short Synopsis: An older man wakes up from a coma, having been a hero(-ish) in another world.

Lenlo: It absolutely pains me to say this but… Isekai Ojisan wasn’t that bad. In fact I dare say I kind of… enjoyed it. The entire premise of the show is riffing on Isekai and their protagonists. Mocking the way they advertise other worlds as being ideal fantasy lands, how deadbeat losers suddenly become suave chads after being hit by a bus, and all the tropes that come with it. Even directly calling out how Tsunderes weren’t an established trope in the 90s, or how the uncle came back probably even worse than he left. Combine that with some clever direction and an artstyle that I really like. I love the thicker, sketchier line work and stark difference in color palette between the fantasy world and our modern one, and you have what might be the best Isekai of the season. That’s a low bar I know, but I’ll take what I can get. I kind of wish the uncle didn’t have magic in our world and the main joke was that he actually imagined it all, but the youtube channel setup with his nephew works too. Isekai Ojisan probably won’t be able to keep this up for its entire season, it’s probably going to screw it up around halfway through and become the very thing it’s mocking. But for now? I actually had fun here.
Potential: 50%

Amun: Isekai Ojisan is a different take on the titular genre. I certainly respect the unique angle, even bringing magic improbably into this world. I just didn’t have that good of a time – I felt bad for everyone involved. From the misunderstood tsundere to the torn apart family – combined with the dreary palette and harsher character designs – Isekai Ojisan felt sad. A bit like squandered youth, I suppose – a world that’s passed the lead character by. Painful nostalgia, I guess. While the subject matter is certainly fair game for anime, I can’t help but feel a bit of a mismatch between the media and the message. I’m interested in seeing where the story takes us, but unlike Lenlo – I didn’t have any fun here.
Potential: 50%

Extreme Hearts

Short Synopsis: An aspiring singer-songwriter trains to participate in a sports-themed variety show… with EXTREME GEAR!

Wooper: This show has some of the most throwaway character designs I’ve seen in ages. They may have some competition for the worst of the year, but they’re almost certainly the worst of the summer. Seriously, can you detect any life within these eyes? Then again, maybe I shouldn’t be so harsh – I’ve got no reason to expect the characters to look conscious when they were drawn by people who don’t care about the story they’re animating. How could they? It’s an original show with a flimsy-ass premise, directed by Junji Nishimura, the Snoop Dogg of the anime world (I’ll leave it to the music fans reading this post to pick up on my meaning). A wannabe singer signs up for an extreme sports tournament in a desperate bid for relevance? And the extreme sports in question are just soccer and baseball with reality-breaking equipment? The only way this could get stupider is if the script were largely made up of people explaining their sappy backstories – which it is. Extreme Hearts did rouse me from my stupor when it introduced a quartet of robot practice partners during one of its training scenes, but that flash of interest was the only thing I felt during its time-warping 24 minutes.
Potential: 0%

Lenlo: So this is… wizard sports? Basically? But they aren’t wizards because they use technology, not magic, but the technology is so advanced that it’s basically indistinguishable from magic? And we are going to tackle every sport at once, because we can’t content ourselves with just one? And they are simultaneously idols? Or is that whole singing bit not going to come back around at some point? This is… fine… I guess? There’s just nothing about Extreme Hearts that I would call interesting. It’s competently animated, and its narrative is so by the books I half think it was written by committee. But that’s kind of the problem. Extreme Hearts feels like a show made to checkboxes, created to sell, rather than because of any one creator or author’s vision and passion. It’s easily one of the most forgettable things I’ve watched so far, despite being nowhere near the worst produced or worst story told. Hell, even as I’m writing this I struggle to think of anything the show did that’s different, beyond the magic sports equipment.
Potential: I can’t even remember what I watched /10

Summer 2022 Impressions: When Will Ayumu Make His Move?,Shadows House S2, Black Summoner

When Will Ayumu Make His Move?

Short Synopsis: A boy intends to ask out the girl he likes if he can beat her at shogi.

Lenlo: This one was actually kind of cute. Surprisingly so. Visually there’s nothing special about Ayumu, at all. It’s a dime a dozen in that regard. But narratively I found it sweet, wholesome and straightforward. The way it gets the premise of the romance out in the open right at the start, no beating around the bush on whether or not they like each other, just so they can focus purely on the relationship. Or how it skipped right past the kendo-club drama, heading it off at the pass. Ayumu just feels like a straight forward, no gimmick romance. In a way it’s like Kaguya-sama, where all the information is presented to the viewer from the start and it’s just a matter of the “how”. I have no idea if that will change moving forward as the series struggles to keep its story going without falling into a rut. It’s possible it falls off a cliff and becomes one-note and boring. But my hope is that it will actually end with them in a relationship and continue past that, the hurdle so many romances seem to struggle with. So yeah, I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. Tentatively gonna watch it. I just wish they would stop visually coding these characters as small children.
Potential: 50%

Mario: If you have already watched Takagi-san, then Ayumu runs on exactly the same concept. It’s a series of teases between the main two characters spending time together alone. Unlike that other show, these two characters are on the same footing, which makes the back and forth conversation more two-sided. So far, we only see these two characters, but I suspect they will expand the cast more in later episodes. It’s not a bad episode per se, but if this episode doesn’t convince you about the duo, then I doubt the rest of the episode will.
Potential: 30%

Shadows House S2

Short Synopsis: Young children are brought to the mysterious “Shadows House” to act as faces for creatures that don’t have their own. What manner of plots and evil are taking place here I wonder?

Lenlo: My biggest issue with Shadows House continues to be its depiction of the shadow characters. Not their personalities or depictions, those are fine and I dare say the intrigue surrounding it all is rather interesting. No, I mean the literal, physical character designs. It feels like almost no thought has been put into the color design or framing of any scene, the way the black of their heads or bodies contrast the background or surrounding furniture. I suppose that may be the point, to really emphasize the need for a “face”, but damn if it isn’t aggravating. Beyond my rant on color design though, Shadows House is back just as it was before. The intrigue is interesting, but the introduction of a power system and the focus it seems it will have is a bit souring. Hopefully the series sticks to what sets it apart from the crowd, the house intrigue, and not become just another battle series. The second half of the episode is leaning towards that with the introduction of Suzanne, you just never know when a series will slip up and go down the easy route of storytelling. I’m hopeful at least, even if it’s a bit awkward for now.
Potential: 50%

Black Summoner

Short Synopsis: A teenage boy wakes up in a fantasy world and does JRPG shit.

Wooper: The subtitles you see above are Black Summoner’s (Kuro no Shoukanshi) very first piece of dialogue, and it only got less inventive from there. Instead of wasting my time detailing just how derivative this episode became, though, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on an even less essential question I’ve been pondering recently: is the prevalence of modern isekai anime similar to that of CGDCT anime following their respective peaks? Some of the attitudes I’ve seen toward this new breed of fantasy anime are highly similar to the ire that was once directed against cute girl shows: they have no substance, they pander to the lowest common denominator, or my personal favorite, they’re the Cancer Killing the Industry. Both then and now, this hyperbole is simple backlash against a subgenre that doesn’t entertain a subset of fans – in short, it’s just their opinion, man. But if the overabundance of these niche shows can be called a loose “justification” for that backlash, then whichever one is more ubiquitous (over a period of, let’s say, 10 years) “deserves” it more.

I decided to use AniList to compile my data, since it allows users to filter by tag rate; that is, you can search for shows that a minimum percentage of taggers have marked as belonging to a particular subgenre. To qualify for this exercise, shows had to meet or exceed a 75% tag rate, having consistently received the CGDCT or isekai label. For the former, I used Spring 2009 as my starting point (when K-ON! first aired) and found that 1341 full length TV anime aired over the next 10 years. Of that sample, 7.31% (98 series) qualified as CGDCT. For the latter, I used Summer 2012 as the starting point (when Sword Art Online first aired) and found that 1475 TV anime aired over the next 10 years. Of that sample, a smaller 6.78% (100 series) qualified as isekai. Thus, I have proven that CGDCT was the more pervasive trend in the 10 years following its prime, and isekai detractors are forbidden from complaining about their hated subgenre until 2024 at the earliest.
Potential: Oh yeah, Black Summoner was terrible.

Summer 2022 Impressions: Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World, My Stepmom’s Daughter is My Ex, Smile of the Arsnotoria the Animation

Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World

Short Synopsis: A young man gets teleported to another world with enough equipment to be a hero and earn some money, only to spend it on slaves, whores and sex.

Lenlo: Dear god, it looks like Vermeil has some real competition in the trashy bullshit department. As the title suggests, this is just your regular isekai with sex thrown in, with absolutely 0 effort put in to separate it from any of the others. I’d say it’s trying to be a less edgy Redo Healer or Shield Hero, but even there it fails. It doesn’t even have the bravery to show full on T&A like Reviewers did. Just… don’t watch this. Find a better Isekai. One with decent production, or at least a community and fanbase large enough to find other people to enjoy it with. There’s nothing here of value.
Potential: -10%

Amun: I was actually so bored watching this episode that I quit before it got trashy.
Potential: None

My Stepmom’s Daughter is My Ex

Short Synopsis: A day in life of new step-siblings who used to date each other.

Mario: My mission here is to find out if the show itself is better than what the title suggests (so the bar isn’t exactly high) and it was… for a while. The episode plays out different scenarios of the main characters flirting with their new relationship status: from trying to get the upper hand, to how their peers consider them, to their own romance. It’s clear to me that the second segment works best and the last segment is just trashily bad. The characters don’t harbor any wit in their exchanges, so most of their forth-and-back falls a bit flat, but sometimes you can feel their emotions come through – the kind of hate / love dynamic that is understandable for 15 year olds to have. This show isn’t downright terrible, but it’s not memorable either, making it a bland romance. Rather unfortunate for a title this bold.
Potential: 10%

Lenlo: Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. Why is Japan so god damn obsessed with incest. Even when it doesn’t have the balls to actually have them be related, it just says “Step-siblings”. Is it every kid’s dream to screw their sister over there? Is this the only kind of cliche romance they can come up with? Is Japan’s grand plan to solve declining birth rates to make everyone want to have a sister? I just don’t get it. And at the very least if you were going to force a sibling romance into a story, you could at least make it good. Instead we get a trope filled, “Kyaa he touched my boob when we hugged”, piece of garbage. There’s nothing authentic or passionate in this story. It’s just someone cashing in a pay check with “They aren’t blood related” incest bait.
Potential: 0%

Smile of the Arsnotoria the Animation

Short Synopsis: Five students at a magical boarding school have tea and scones. Elsewhere, a squad of swordsmen commit genocide.

Lenlo: It took me way too long to figure out why Arsnotoria felt familiar: It has the same character designer as Re:Zero and Granbelm. It’s not a bad look, the designs are good! Now if only the show was remotely interesting to back it up. Arsnotoria took 20 minutes to do absolutely anything, the rest of the time being filled with slice of life fluff that had me constantly checking to see how far I was. When a first episode feels twice as long as it actually is, that’s not a good sign! If that’s supposed to be their hook, their opening salvo where I spend 20 minutes with 5 little girls sitting around eating biscuits and drinking tea, then why should I bother with the rest? Now maybe the show picks up, maybe that ending means something interesting will actually happen. Personally though? I wouldn’t count on it.
Potential: 5%

Wooper: I’ve got no idea how the quaint first 20 minutes of this episode (in which five girls meet for afternoon tea) and the murderous final three minutes (in which hooded swordsmen set fire to a town and kill its European-looking residents) are connected. I do know that my curiosity about that connection is supposed to drive me to watch the second episode next week, but unfortunately that’s not going to happen. There were things I liked about Arsnotoria’s premiere, including a vague sense of mystery surrounding its magical dormitory, bolstered by translucent figures walking along its hallways and references to activity “on the surface,” as though the dorm existed on its own plane of reality. There was some good character animation throughout the episode, and the detail that went into the school cafeteria (staffed by fire and forest sprites) displayed some real imagination. I even liked one or two of the gags that recurred throughout the girls’ tea time – black-haired Alberta sinking deeper and deeper into her pile of cushions springs to mind. Ultimately, though, too many of their discussions failed to support the show in any meaningful way. It was all either pleasantries or banter, with almost no detail or context about their characters being supplied, and the script wasn’t nearly sharp enough to support that approach. The show is sure to become more exciting in future weeks (the action-driven OP is evidence of that), but its premiere didn’t do much for me.
Potential: 5%

Summer 2022 Impressions: Vermeil in Gold, Made in Abyss S2, Tokyo Mew Mew

Vermeil in Gold

Short Synopsis: Genius kid is so bad at summoning he summons a succubus…for friendship and respect.

Lenlo: Vermeil in Gold? More like… Ass and… titty. You have no idea how long I struggled to make a joke out of this before I gave up. Anyways, my point is that Vermeil is your ecchi-bait of the season. It really shouldn’t come as a surprise, it’s a show about summoning a freaking succubus in a virgin-killer. I just wish it had literally anything else going for it. Story? The only “plot” this show has is bouncy and attached to the token waifu. Characterization? We have shy dweeb and an ara-ara Onee-san demoness, with a childhood friend tsundere thrown in for options. World? Stereotypically magical. I just… There is no reason to watch this show when the only thing it can give you is something the doujins will probably provide better. If you want to have an Onee-san whisper in your ear for 30 minutes a week, go for it. As for me? This is a pass.
Potential: 5%

Amun: To be fair, I’m not sure where Lenlo is seeing the ass, but he’s really understating the sheer cubic inch volume of boob that’s happening here. I respect shows that embrace their trashiness and understand why you’re watching. For example, this season’s Engage Kiss is a little confused – Vermeil is not in the slightest. For me, it’s interesting to see the progression of anime’s line-pushing…does anyone else remember when you were lucky to get a kiss by the end of the season (Toradora for example)? Kids these days go all the way in episode 1 (Scum’s Wish, I’m looking at you). Get off my lawn or something. Anyways, Vermeil puts the tongue in and looks generic doing it, but I’ve seen worse production (although the backgrounds have that weird sketchy look we’re seeing more often). I just don’t really like the character designs honestly – they’re kind of lacking that special care that takes you into S-tier waifus. There isn’t that much here but oppai filler – if that’s what your season’s palette is missing, then this is your show. Pass from me.
Potential: 10%

Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun

Short Synopsis: Two children delve into the depths of the earth, encountering all sorts of horrific and fantastical creatures and environments along the way, Season 2!

Helghast: Even through I’m all up caught with the manga, I don’t have a good recollection what actually happens in the sixth layer. I just know that going to fucked up as the fifth layer but in a different disturbing way. Made in Abyss doesn’t waste anything time in living up to that expectation as it shows off rape, puking and mutilation in the first few minutes. Narratively, I think it a bold choice to have a split storyline between Riko’s present-day adventure and Vueko’s memories of the Ganja Squad speedrunning their descent into the more primal murder-death hole. Having the experience of pervious explorers in the background as Riko experiences the village of Ilblu provides a sense of foreboding before those two experiences clash in an explosive conclusion. Kevin Penkin’s gorgeous OST is looking to match the standard of the previous seasons with hit singles like “Gravity” drawing the viewers in and immersing them in the beauty and deceptive nature of the abyss. If you can ignore the bits of a loli struggling to poop quietly, Made in Abyss has the animation, music and storyline to easily become the top anime of the season. If you’ve seen the first season and movie , you really have nowhere to go but continue on through with the series. After all, the adventure in the sixth layer has only just begun!
Potential: 85%

Lenlo: Made in Abyss is a weird one. At its core, I think this is really good. I think the structure of telling two parallel stories at once, both in the same location but at different points of time, is really strong. I’m looking forward to how they overlap, to inevitably meeting the characters from the past, in the present. On top of that, all of the production is still good. Kevin Penkin’s music is still strong, and I still quite like the art style and direction. Basically, everything that was good about Made in Abyss is still good. But… that also means everything that was bad is still bad. I’m of course talking about Made in Abyss’ treatment of children. For the most part it’s whatever, anime is filled with lolicons and there isn’t anything we can do about it. Other times though… Do we really need the sound effects for a child taking a dump? Or to open the first 30 seconds with an ugly bastard and a loli? These aren’t enough to kill the show for me, I just ignore them. But I know for a fact some people are uncomfortable from all of this. If that’s you, it’s back. If it’s not? Then I expect we are going to have a good time here.
Potential: 80%

TOKYO MEW MEW NEW

Short Synopsis: A love-obsessed high school girl is conscripted into a magical Earth-saving task force.

Lenlo: This is a complicated one. Visually Tokyo Mew Mew has some pretty great highs and some average lows. The transformation sequence in particular looked gorgeous, and the designs are typically appealing. It’s the most basic of basic Mahou Shoujo. It’s like someone saw that the current Precure wasn’t that good and thought they could come in and snipe some of the audience. And from what I’m seeing on discord and chatting with some friends, it’s working. The problem? I cannot stand Mahou Shoujo. Not one that plays the concept straight anyways, Princess Tutu and such are still great. I find them so sweet I fear it will give me diabetes, and the story rarely has anything to sink your teeth into. Here at least you might get some romance, something more than a sanitized and sweet magical girl show.
Potential: 50% – If you like Mahou Shoujo, otherwise 0%

Wooper: The only association I have with the Tokyo Mew Mew is that an old buddy of mine used to watch the original series with his girlfriend, for which I ceaselessly mocked him. (He has since married his teenage sweetheart while I’m in my early thirties and single, so he got the last laugh.) Fifteen-ish years later I find myself watching the premiere of the reboot and wishing I was doing absolutely anything else – not because I still think I’m too old for magical girl shows, but because it’s clear that Tokyo Mew Mew New’s existence is rooted in the desire to make millions of nostalgia bucks. If it were made out of love for the franchise, its designs would reflect a more personal style than “make them look like characters from a ‘How to Draw Anime’ book circa 2012.” Its animation producer’s first full-length TV credit wouldn’t be from 2021, resulting in a who’s new of personnel being thrown at every scene (barring the one that will play a dozen more times before the first season ends). Its sparse backgrounds wouldn’t give the impression that the story is taking place in a simulation. I’ve got my issues with the plot and characters themselves (what little I’ve seen of them, anyway), but it’s the presentation of this episode that marks TMMN as a dire adaptation.
Potential: 0%

Summer 2022 Impressions: YUREI DECO, My Isekai Life, Classroom of the Elite S2

YUREI DECO

Short Synopsis: An excitable teenage girl shirks her responsibilities to chase a camouflaged hacker around a digitally-augmented city.

Wooper: I had some hopes for this series, given my fondness for director Shimoyama’s previous work, but this premiere dashed most of them. The long and short of it is that Yurei Deco feels undercooked, both in setting and concept. First, the setting: the plan to design a grayish-brown city composed entirely of right angles and slap brightly-colored shapes on top of it makes sense on paper. It’s likely meant to portray the superficiality of AR tech; take away the fancy holograms and all-important “Love” readings and you’re left with a pretty unexciting place to live. In practice, though, Yurei Deco ends up looking pretty unexciting itself, as the geometry of its city feels so oppressive that no amount of digital color can distract your eye. There’s a parkour scene near the end of this episode that served as a perfect opportunity to show off the landscape of Tom Sawyer (yes, the city is called Tom Sawyer), but it ended up exposing its plainness instead. As for the series’ concept, I do like the idea of a character’s malfunctioning eye implant giving them the ability to perceive invisible objects. Beyond that, however, the fixation on “Love” (think social media) and the main character’s obsession with a hacker who resets Love feel almost like relics in our post-Black Mirror age. We haven’t met all the secondary characters yet, so I’ll stick around until that happens – maybe they’ll breathe a little originality into what used to be one of my top picks for this season.
Potential: 25%

Amun: Yurei Deco is off to a weird start – but not a horrid one. I’m definitely reminded a bit of the feeling (if not the form) from ID:Invaded – worlds within worlds where your eyes are unreliable narrators for reality. I don’t hate the premise of the AR dystopian future, and the environment’s nods to 2D games are a fun Easter egg. I don’t really love the character designs; they’re basically watered down Gorillaz knock-offs (I didn’t even realize that was a girl until they used her pronouns halfway through). The setting, as Wooper said, is plain, but to me that’s by design and highlights the cheap neon paint over a boring world. The animation isn’t the strongest, but if the story goes to interesting places, I’m down to try this – definitely not the worst premiere of the season. Ceiling: Deca-Dence. Floor: completely forgettable.
Potential: 45%

My Isekai Life: I Gained a Second Character Class and Became the Strongest Sage in the World!

Short Synopsis: A real-world programmer protects a medieval town from monsters with the help of his slime companions.

Amun: Oh boy, another isekai (this season has so many shows that literally have “isekai” in the name that it’s really hard to keep track). Let’s see here…ah, it’s a slime one. You know what, I like slime isekais. From the great Rimura to I’ve been killing slimes for 300 years, I’ve enjoyed them all to varying degrees. And My Isekai Life looks to follow suit – albeit towards the lower end of the enjoyment spectrum. We have our standard lead, who looks to be doing some kind of spell programming that parallels his past life’s occupation….yawn. More interesting are his familiars, which include the slimes, a humanoid dryad and, the likely comedic relief, scaredy-cat wolf. The big set piece battle isn’t the best animation I’ve ever seen…okay, I’d call it just barely passable. But the world seems fun, we have a secret cult conspiracy, and hey – all the little individualized slimes are pretty cute. My biggest concern is that this show will try to take itself too seriously and think it has a real plot. As long as it stays light hearted and doesn’t visually fall off a cliff – what’s wrong with a little slime fun this season?
Potential: 60%

Wooper: My Isekai Life debuted with two episodes at once, but I only had the heart to watch the first, which was full of magic, monsters, and dialogue intended to flatter the awesome main character. Yes, it’s another entry in anime’s most infamous subgenre, and it doesn’t appear to offer much that bigger titles haven’t already covered: a cape-wearing protagonist (Yuuji) with severe bedhead, pop-up menus for magical attacks, a wolf companion used primarily for transport, HP and MP stats, etc. The show’s big selling point seems to be its abundance of friendly blue slimes, each of whom are voiced by different seiyuu attempting to give identical performances, which doesn’t seem like the best use of their time or talent – but I digress. Slimes aren’t exactly new in Japanese fantasy works, but these ones increase Yuuji’s inventory space and act as conduits for his magical powers, at least one of which probably counts as an innovation. Their master is significantly less interesting, being a stoic former programmer with incredible mage abilities whose goals are to protect people and get stronger and now I’m asleep. I sort of appreciate that the anime jumped right into the action instead of going into pointless detail about how he came to reside in this new world, how he acquired his powers, etc. That’s usually the worst part of these shows, but it’s not like My Isekai Life excels due to its absence – it’s still stuck with a boring premise, a recycled setting, and an animation team that struggles to do anything apart from making Yuuji’s cape flap in the wind.
Potential: 10%

Classroom of the Elite S2

Short Synopsis: Psychological games abound on a cruise ship coming back from last season’s island test (which everyone totally remembers).

Mario: It’s been awhile, Elite. I blogged it back in 2017 when it first aired and I was mixed on it at best. What I found is that the show tries to sound smarter than it actually is, with all the elaborate sets of rules that somehow get bent for the MC’s convenience. The second season kicks things into gear immediately with another test, albeit this time the test mixes different classes together. It can take a bit of time to become familiar with the huge cast again, but so far I am intrigued just to see how they play out this test. Sadly I can’t say the same about the characters as none of them, except for our MC, have enough time to settle in. And there’s already some contrived drama (the picture-taking scene) so it’s best that I watch it with tempered expectations.
Potential: 30%

Amun: Right…I very vaguely remember this show. What I do remember now is how little I cared by the end of it. We have the dead fish-eyed hero, calmly calculating and formulating an underhanded plan to help out his harem and his misfit class. The test itself is almost interesting (as I remember the island competition to be), but it’s just too drawn out to be fun. There’s just way too many moving parts and people – I can barely remember the main two, and it looks like this season’s focusing on a different girl? It’s just too much talking for one show – the focus is always on the people, but the setting is pretty bland too. I also remember how dumb the Latin quotes are at the beginning, but maybe I’m just not cut out to be in the Classroom of the Elite. That’s fine by me – I’ll just be here in the DanMachi waiting room.
Potential: 1%

Summer 2022 Impressions: Lycoris Recoil, Teppen!!!!!!!!!!, Ongakutai Witches

Lycoris Recoil

Short Synopsis: Secret Government agency recruits orphan girls to provide public security – wait a second, I’ve seen this somewhere before…

Amun: Alright, alright. Let me get my complaints out of the way first. Yes, this looks like a poor man’s Gunslinger Girl with a smaller cast. Now that I think about it…that’s actually a compliment. There was a lot of good in this episode – I think the main duo has good chemistry, the world is pretty interesting, and the action looks good (not great, but good). I also like the twin views of “kill everyone” vs. “win with no casualties” – there’s an additional level of levity that comes from not having a massive body count. I’m also a fan of “the greater good” vs. “help the individual” – GSG had that domestic angle apply to the girls themselves, but it looks like Lycoris Recoil will use bystanders and side characters. I’d also like to point out that someone in the production committee does know their firearms (but a 700’ handgun shot at a drone at night has like 0% chance of working – though props for telling her to remove the silencer). Undoubtedly, the conflict will get larger with higher stakes, but for now Lycoris Recoil is just some goofy assassins in maid costumes. I feel pretty good about this.
Potential: 75%

Mario: The pre-credit sequence of Lycoris Recoil is probably my favorite pre-credit scene in recent years. As we listen to the sweet narration, what happens on-screen is so far-removed from what we hear that it immediately establishes the tone and themes of the series. The rest of the episode doesn’t rise above that moment, but there’s still tons of highlights. As a recipient for CGDCT shows, I am happy to report that so far Lycoris Recoil more than satisfies me, and then some. The characters are a delight so far, as they bounce off each other well, and the duo’s different approaches to their jobs open up plenty of room to grow. The world it’s built so far is equally fascinating as well. The secret agency they are working so far is neither painted as good or bad, and there’s some implications that we learn more about its deep-rooted secrets in later episodes. The image of the falling tower – and its now-symbolic icon – lures in the background but obviously will play a much bigger role in the future. And although the show has more than enough hints that it will go much darker in the future, so far I am also on board with these girls just… taking low time, running a cafe and delivering happiness to their neighborhood. A pretty confident start for Lycoris Recoil.
Potential: 70%

Teppen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Short Synopsis: Five manzai comedy trios live in a free dormitory on the condition that they give favorable performances.

Lenlo: If I’m being honest, my biggest issue with Teppen isn’t its standard production, questionable comedy or stereotyped cast, but rather with just how many cast members it has. In the span of 12 minutes we got introduced to 15 girls, plus one macho manager. This is a one-cour show right? Are we expected to know, or care, about any of these girls? I don’t think so. And that just tells me right from the start what kind of show Teppen is going to be: Comedy idols. Now on the up side, that’s not terrible. I’ll take that over CGI song and dance any day. And the comedy wasn’t the worst. The Manzai style, fast talking, play-by-play, misunderstandings etc, is infinitely more entertaining than the regular anime slapstick bullshit. I actually chuckled a few times throughout the episode! But without any substance behind the comedy, any care in the characters, I just don’t think this will be for me. If you want some fun popcorn with 15 different characters from which to pick your favorite though, this might be up your alley.
Potential: 15%

Wooper: As an American ignoramus, one of my “issues” with Japanese comedy is that it often treats its punchlines as secondary to the reactions they elicit. This pattern is perhaps best exemplified by the manzai genre, so an anime revolving around that style of comedy will have a hard time winning me over, but Teppen did a decent job of it here. The show is structured a bit like Hypnosis Mic from a couple years back, featuring multiple character trios but putting most of its focus on just one of them each week. That trio begins each episode with a stage performance which gives way to flashbacks and side stories, and at the end we cut back to the girls on stage, implying that everything we’ve just seen has been part of their manzai routine. I can’t think of a better format for this subject matter, so the show earns props for that, plus some bonus points for the “if you bomb on stage, you’re out of the competition” conceit. I doubt we’re meant to take this consequence seriously, but the illusion of stakes is all a show like this really needs. As for the jokes in the premiere itself, I sort of liked the bit about the girls scrambling to fix their dorm supervisor’s beheaded bodybuilding trophy, and the implication that one of the residents is an alien was amusing (it’ll almost certainly become a long-running gag). I’m a little concerned about Teppen’s animation going forward, as the scenes from the next episode preview looked outsourced, but if you’re a fan of cute girls doing comedic things, don’t let that stop you from giving the show a look.
Potential: 20%

Ongakutai Witches

Short Synopsis: Soldiers protect the country, teenage girls with propeller legs and microphones protect their smiles, the true battlefield of World War 2.

Mario: I went into this completely blind so I wasn’t expecting the Strike Witches connection – a franchise about cute girls fighting in army uniforms with jet packs attached to their feet. But for my money knowing that it’s a Strike Witches spin-off actually makes this episode better given how it spins away from the battle and focuses on music and the girls who aren’t so good at fighting. The problem with Ongakutai Witches is that I don’t really care much about any of these girls at this point. They are your usual stock characters with one significant trait (and the fact that the show introduces them with these only traits). And the second reason why I won’t go back for this is entirely not its issue – it’s airing right after another “Magical girls singing to heal others” show in Healer Girl, which I found more original in every way. For fans of Strike Witches and idol shows, this show does about enough to satisfy both, but others might approach it with caution.
Potential: 20%

Lenlo: Alright so let me get this straight: Ongakutai Witches is about… World War 2 era teenage witch idols with propellers on their legs… What? Anime is weird man. And not the good kind of weird, like Jojo or Tatami Galaxy. More the kind where I am wondering what the point of the show is. It’s clearly not trying to be an actual war drama, these are pre-teen singing idol child soldiers who will save the world with the power of music. Nor is it to be an actual idol show, since there’s no actual like… band or show here. Its just going to be girls singing over battlefields to “protect their smiles” or whatever. Maybe you can find something wholesome and cute if you squint really hard? But personally, there’s no reason to watch this show. If you want an Idol show then you have your pick of the litter this season, especially with stuff like Love Live getting a second season. And if you want a war drama well… Go watch something other than anime I guess.
Potential: 0%

Summer 2022 Impressions: Kami Kuzu Idol, Engage Kiss, Shoot! Goal to the Future

Kami Kuzu Idol

Short Synopsis: A money-grubbing idol allows himself to be possessed by the spirit of a former starlet.

Wooper: Fifteen seconds into the summer 2022 season and I was already bracing for the worst, as Kami Kuzu’s narrator spoke about idols shining on stage and bringing joy to their fans. Turns out it’s not as bad as all that, since there’s a humorous angle to the show – main character Niyodo hates his occupation and is only able to avoid being fired by giving control of his body to the ghost of a former idol. The ensuing CG musical number was inoffensive enough, and the promise of spirit possession-related hijinks isn’t a bad comedic hook, but I do wonder how many episodes this premise is truly worth. You’ve got to assume that the lazy protagonist will slowly be won over by the enthusiasm of his ghostly benefactor, and that in the end, he’ll drink the idol Kool-Aid to create the illusion of a completed character arc. Will the series be able to justify nearly a dozen more episodes before that point? Probably not, but there is one thing about it that gives me hope: the trio of fangirls who obsess over Niyodo both before and after his supernatural personality change. The post-credits scene of them chatting about their favorite entertainer reminded me of Oshi ga Budokan, a fandom-oriented idol show that pleasantly surprised me a couple years back. Kami Kuzu isn’t on its level, visually speaking, but it shares a little bit of its DNA – maybe it’ll muster a handful of decent episodes before its inevitable compromise.
Potential: 20%

Mario: “This is not a mere idol show, it’s a romance show with an idol setting” was initially my thought until it goes full-blown with the musical performance and ends the episode with the comedy bit about 3 fangirls fangirling about his sudden personality change. The very fact that it mixes with other genres make this show fresh and charming at places. Add to that, we have the main character Niyodo who is unlike any idol protagonist we’ve seen before (he hates idols) and that can be an instrument to the show’s humor. On the other hand, I’m a bit nervous that the show’s premise could wear thin afterwards. The production looks shaky for an idol show, with the musical number being absolutely forgettable. Ultimately, Kami Kuzu Idol is uneven across all tables, but it’s the messiness that makes it different from your typical idol fare. Give it a try at least!
Potential: 30%

Engage Kiss

Short Synopsis: Anime original anime borrows ideas from other successful franchises and is bad – also has a high school not-vampire waifu.

Amun: I’m actually a bit angry at this premiere. There are talented animators who worked hard to make this 20 minutes of good looking garbage. Everything about this show is a pale imitation of something better. This is a trashy vampire storyline without the blood sucking. The weird love triangle is Darling in the Franxx, just with financial irresponsibility instead of ED (and no mechs). The fight scenes are good – maybe not great, but I’d say good. For example, the back-to-back ex-gf/jailbait fight was nicely done and had proper tension. There were definite momentary shots that looked good in a vacuum (mostly involving flying poker chips). The final scenes with falling glass really reminded me of Guilty Crown’s first episode – just not quite as good looking. It would be all fine – except whoever wrote this was thinking with the wrong head. And didn’t even do a good job at it. Wait, I looked this up….this is an anime original. A-1, why do this?! There are so many better light novels or manga or napkin ideas to be adapted! Final verdict – too many good resources of animation were spent on this crap writing.
Potential: 1%

Lenlo: Engage Kiss is… Run of the mill. Demons/Monsters/Whatever in the modern day in a made up city? Check. Kirito look-a-like? Check. Looking like every other show A-1 Pictures has made in the last few years? Check. Though maybe that one is a bit unfair, there were some nice first person PoV shots in there. About the only thing I’m interested in is this PMC setup and how the MC is actively seeking out the conflict, possibly getting in trouble with the politics of the city. I think it could do some interesting stuff with that kind of setup. I just wish that for once we could get this kind of show without this weird needy/creepy relationship with whatever waifu-of-the-season bait the show could come up with. It’s just so… forced in. There’s no actual chemistry there, and it’s like the premise of the show exists just for love triangle three way, a graphic kissy-face scene and gratuitous ass shots. Like yeah, it was a well animated kissy-face, tongue and all. But at that point just make the high-budget hentai we all know you want to make and don’t try and bait me some action.
Potential: 10.1%

Shoot! Goal to the Future

Short Synopsis: A boy with a traumatic past refuses to play soccer anymore.

Mario: Yes, you don’t really need any knowledge of the original Shoot to follow this sequel, the same way Mix: Meisei Story works without knowledge of Touch. But the new Shoot series is one of those shows that I’m more than happy to cross off the watchlist. First, it’s really weird to start off with these POV shooting scenes as it doesn’t mesh with the rest of the show. The characters are downright unlikable (almost all of them) as the show tries to push for melodrama. While melodrama has always been in Shoot’s DNA (the original show has a player who passed away after a match. It’s hinted right there in this episode), you can see all the tricks for full-blown impact here: MC with traumatic past, shouting in frustration, freeze shots for all its conflicts. Its sense of self-importance threatens to suffocate the characters, and us viewers. The plot leaves no room for subtlety at all, given how the source of MC’s trauma appears right at the end of this first episode. While I’m glad the franchise is back, I have zero interest in following it any further.
Potential: 0%

Wooper: I’ve seen a few episodes of Aoki Densetsu Shoot (the prequel to Goal to the Future) and it didn’t appeal to me very much, so it’s not a big surprise that its next-gen spinoff failed to capture me. What did surprise me, though, was the edginess of this premiere. One of its first scenes sees the main character monologuing about the uselessness of his high school’s soccer team and smirking at their defeat. He and the team’s captain get into multiple shouting matches throughout the episode, with a couple moments getting so overdramatic that I imagined both boys with Super Saiyan hair. They attempt to settle their differences with a PK shootout, but that only serves to enrage the loser, then a potential coach (an aged-up character from the original series) calls the team “terrible” and threatens to turn down the job if they don’t live up to his expectations. I can understand the decision to create animosity within the cast, but taking it to this extent results in skepticism rather than audience investment. On the plus side, this episode boasts one wonderfully animated scene – a flashback to the old member weaving through defenders as a teenager. My advice is to watch that moment in isolation (it starts at 17:33 and lasts about ten seconds), then put this show out of your mind forever.
Potential: 5%

Spring 2022 Impressions: Don’t Hurt Me My Healer, Ascendance of a Bookworm S3, Komi Can’t Communicate S2, Paripi Koumei

Don’t Hurt Me, My Healer!

Short Synopsis: Fast talking bear, dark (skinned) elf, and idiot hero conspire to waste 20 minutes of your time!

Wooper: “My Healer” isn’t worth watching in a vacuum, but viewed as a satire of bargain bin fantasy anime, it’s vaguely amusing. You know that type of series where the main character’s face is permanently obscured so viewers can more easily imagine themselves in his place? Well, this show takes that practice to such absurd lengths that it ends up functioning as a commentary on its stupidity. There are a plethora of blatant animation shortcuts which give off the same vibe, including this shot of the main character’s helmet suddenly tripling in size to indicate his frustration. Unfortunately, these winks at the audience are My Healer’s only source of value (that I could spot, anyway). Both the elf and the bear’s personality quirks make for silly dialogue that’s likely to have you reaching for your phone out of boredom, and the faceless frontman doesn’t have a humorous word to say all episode. Even if you hate modern fantasy anime more than anything and want to see a show take jabs at it, there are better options than “My Healer.”
Potential: 5%

Amun: “So bad it’s good” – the goal of “Don’t Hurt Me, My Healer!” production committee. I’m guessing the main writer interned at Gintama and learned all of the wrong lessons. I hate all these characters. I hate the dialogue. I hate the premise. I hate everything. Well, except maybe the bear – she’s a bit funny. Nothing really happened this episode except to contrive a reason this is a show at all. There’s some dark-elf face going on here too – is that still allowed? I can’t keep up. I have stubbed my toe to greater joy than watching this show. I bet Lenlo loves it (not really though – if you watch this, it’s not my fault). ^_^
Potential: 0%

Ascendance of a Bookworm 3

Short Synopsis: Small reincarnated girl tries to make books but ends up navigating complicated political matters instead.

Amun: One of the best qualities of “Bookworm” is consistency. The oddest isekai’s tale of a young girl’s struggle to make books has stayed remarkably on message for the three seasons – Main has overcome her obstacles, both political and physical, on her Gutenberg quest, while new foes rise to complicate matters. I think the largest looming subplot is the faintest hint of a love triangle emerging with her young friend Lutz and the head priest – poor kid never had a chance. This season is opening with winter and some kind of ritual (which seems a bit ominous) – plus there’s always the chance of Main freaking out and killing everyone. Which would be very entertaining, come to think of it. Our new enemy of the season is the Ink Guild – I think there’s a huge missed opportunity for their logo to be an octopus. Every sequel has some sentiment of “I expect it to be like the previous seasons”, but with “Bookworm”, I’d say you can fully count on it.
Potential: 90%

Komi Can’t Communicate Part 2

Short Synopsis: Komi-san makes some more friends.

Mario: The first season of Komi-san started strong but eventually lost its steam for me and went out not with a bang but a whimper, to the point that I considered not picking up the second season. Well, this premiere blew my socks off again with adept direction and well-timed gags. The three skits they have for this episode are diverse, and introduce new characters / reinforce the old cast in a fun and playful mode. That new “punk” character is a fitting addition to the cast. At its core, Komi-san is about the need for communication for those who are socially-awkward, so he parallels much of what Komi-san has gone through. All the jokes land at just the right moments. While I feel that airing this season puts this show at a disadvantage because of the comparison to Kaguya-sama (and I prefer the latter much better myself), Komi-san is still a must-watch show this season.
Potential: 50%

Paripi Koumei

Short Synopsis: A Chinese military tactician is reborn in modern day Japan, where he decides to become a pop singer’s agent.

Wooper: Anime has tackled China’s military epic “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” a handful of times, but never has it dropped one of its primary generals into the 21st century… until now. I was planning to skip this show, but we got a comment urging us to check it out, and it ended up being pretty fun! It’s a fish out of water story, a template that often feels tired because the contrast between its pond and its ocean (so to speak) is over-exaggerated. But when the fish is a 300 IQ military strategist and the ocean is 1800 years removed from the pond, you’ve got yourself a winning premise. Zhuge Liang (here referred to by his courtesy name Kongming) has an enormous intellect, which he uses to rapidly absorb both the broader realities and technological minutiae of modern Japan. He also has a genuine love for music and develops a strong distaste for EDM upon first listen, making him a thoroughly based individual. There’s a careful comedic hand at work behind his character, balancing his cluelessness (“And what, pray tell, is the blockchain?”) and brilliance in equal measure, allowing him to carry the entire show with ease. I’m less happy with him hitching his wagon to a wannabe pop star, since that’s the sort of tripe that can easily kill a TV show – if we start leaning away from Kongming and towards some “big dreams in the big city” bullshit I’ll bail, but for now I’m in.
Potential: 50%