Category: Some Quick First Impressions

Shin no Nakama ja Nai to Yuusha no Party wo Oidasareta node, Henkyou de Slow Life suru Koto ni Shimashita

Short Synopsis: I Was Kicked out of the Brave Man’s Party Because I Wasn’t a True Companion so I Decided to Have a Slow Life at the Frontier.

Amun: Ho hum, another silly show that’s put the synopsis as the title. And they messed up the translation of “hero” to “brave man”, although it’s clearly a woman? Ha! This is probably going to be terrible. Wait…wait a second. Wait…that wasn’t too bad. Huh…the animation wasn’t terrible. There was a hint of nuance to the characters’ backstories. There are some interesting character dynamics that aren’t completely romantic. It’s not an isekai?! The owl-bear is a fun monster design?!! Hold on lads, this is not a drill – we might have a real show on our hands! Oh, here comes the main girl – never mind, false alarm. In all seriousness, this was not a bad opening episode, considering some of the major duds we’ve had recently (Tatoeba Last Dungeon comes to mind). I’m pretty interested, especially considering the emotional baggage and constraints put on the main character. Most of the red flags I’m seeing come from the OP/ED, and that’s not a surefire judge of how a show will progress (I mean, if you judged Vanitas from the OP, you’d be beyond puzzled at the show itself). I guess the premise sounds so flat on paper, that I’m going to be skeptical the whole season until it proves me wrong. Which it very well could do. I’m saying there is exactly a 50% chance of this being watchable and 50% chance of me dropping it next week.

Potential: 50.000%

Lenlo: A title that’s basically your synopsis? Check. Fantasy world? Check. Opening info dump about a demon lord? Check. Adventuring guild system with maid outfits, massive tits and ranks? Check. Class based power system rather than any kind of meaningful granularity? Check. MC with a “unique” blessing that makes them OP in their own way? Check. That same bog standard “SAO Lite” visual style? Check. A harem? Not confirmed but clearly in the works. Everything about this show just screams unimaginative Light Novel adaptation. Oh sure the basic idea of your overpowered starting companion getting outscaled and kicked out is fine enough. It’s a nice premise for a short story! But between the title and this being a Light Novel I’m not expecting this to grow or do anything interesting whatsoever. It’s a premise created to hook you in early and then go absolutely nowhere. If that’s your thing, if you just want some probably wholesome popcorn entertainment, then have at. But for me this is a pass.

Potential: 20%

Muv-Luv Alternative

Short Synopsis: 36 million Japanese citizens are wiped out in an alien invasion.

Wooper: I’m not a visual novel guy, so I had no idea what Muv-Luv Alternative was about before watching. I still don’t know how the story will progress after having seen it, since the premiere was a giant prologue – one that focused far more on setting and action than on character. But I’m okay with that, because the first episode is all I’m likely to watch, and it surely succeeded on its own terms. Gruesome aliens storm a major human settlement and kill everything in sight while mecha pilots offer feeble resistance – that’s the direction we got here, and though my lack of connection to the cast prevented me from feeling horrified, I did find myself thinking, “They actually went there?” at several points. Hundreds of civilians were slaughtered after their shelter was breached. Diminutive nutsack monsters fired laser beams from their eyes. The boring male lead seemed to drown in monster acid while trapped in a cockpit (though the post-credits teaser indicated that he’s still alive 25 years in the future). The CG was rough, but there’s no way you can animate alien hordes using traditional methods in 2021 when even background actors are commonly rendered in 3D. By the end of the episode, I believed in the bleakness of this alternative history – I just have no interest in seeing what comes next.

Potential: 30%

Lenlo: Ah the second dystopian “mecha” series of the season. Where Eighty Six is gunning for a “nuanced” political drama where the real enemy is your fellow man, Muv-Luv is more your standard “Faceless, nameless, unknowable entity whom you can’t talk to”. It’s all about unbeatable odds, giant monsters and over the top brutal deaths. Oh and skintight, form-fitting outfits. We can’t forget about those. And I have to say… the comparison isn’t favorable for Muv-Luv. Even on a purely visual level Muv-Luv’s rough CGI, boorish backgrounds and early 2000’s designs simply can’t compare to its competitors. Meanwhile on the story side it’s exactly as Wooper said: I don’t know or care about any of these people. Yeah the world sucks… but so does the show so why should I give a damn? Fact is, there are better mecha series within Muv-Luv’s own franchise, not to mention anime as a whole. This one is a pretty easy pass for me.

Potential: 0%

Puraore! Pride of Orange

Short Synopsis: A middle school embroidery club signs up for a day of ice hockey training, thus beginning their journey to represent Japan in the Women’s World Cup.

Lenlo: Pardon my language but… What the fuck. First you try to make a series about hockey but choose the version of the sport where the players aren’t allowed to body check each other into the wall at 20 miles per hour. Then you open on the absolute fantasy of Japan beating CANADA of all countries at the World Cup of Hockey, something I don’t think Japan has ever even been to. Then it turns the whole thing into an idol performance on stage! Just… Just picking a fucking genre! Sports, Idol, CGDCT, I don’t care! Just pick one and focus on it! But no. Puraore tries to go for all of them at once and in doing so fails to achieve any of them. I imagine even CGDCT fans will want to give this show a pass.

Potential: 0%

Wooper: Pride of Orange’s dialogue is some of the worst that I’ve read this year. Here are some snippets: “The bonds of our hearts connect the puck!” “Nothing says ‘springtime of youth’ like sweat and sports!” And, talking about an embroidery club: “We all share a common thread!” These are just the tip of Puraore’s iceberg of cheese, and the rest of the show is no better. I thought we might be in for a decent Cute Girls Playing Cute Sports series after the opening scene, a solidly animated flashforward to the team’s appearance at the World Cup, but then came the subsequent Idols on Ice performance, and it was all downhill from there. Back in the present, the main characters don’t even have broad archetypes to fall back on, as they all fit into the same impossibly optimistic bucket. One is a little shy, though, so whoever drafted her personality must have woken up for a couple minutes during his high school lit teacher’s lesson on characterization (then gone back to sleep for the rest of the year). Anime blogger Scamp tags these sorts of shows “girls being insufferably nice to each other,” and I can’t imagine a better phrase – emphasis on “insufferably” in this show’s case.

Potential: 0%

Takt Op. Destiny

Short Synopsis: Emo Arima Kousei and Loli Zero Two save the world with the power of music.

Armitage: Damn. This came out as such a pleasant surprise. The show had completely flown under my radar and I walked into this premiere expecting some generic music plot. Which admittedly, this still has. But it makes up for that in the sumptuous sakuga cuts it throws at you every once in a while. While this is a collaboration between Madhouse and MAPPA, the art style is very reminiscent of A1 pictures with crisp backgrounds and some tasty lookin’ treats. But, really, you’re here for the fight scenes and they do look especially glorious. Though, it’s not just these that look good, basically every time an object on screen so much as moves, it does so with a lot of flair and style. And in general, Takt Op. Destiny is a show that oozes style from every pore. I only hope it can deliver a semi-interesting plot to accompany all the sakuga. But hey, if nothing else, we will be getting a crap ton of gifs featuring Zero Two Lite eating stuff. I know there’s a real audience for that sort of thing.

Potential: 70%

Mario: I really hope that Takt Op didn’t spend all their effort on this first episode because santa mozzarella, I didn’t expect the production to be this solid. Not only does the animation know how to shine when it counts, but also the great eye for composition makes this show look appealing all the time. The show is confident enough that it uses 3 different art styles in this premiere and somehow they all work in contribution to its themes. The story still feels generic, however. It’s a basic “human vs monsters” battle so far and the moment it starts to explain why the monsters are attracted to music, it falls flat. This is a kind of concept that you just roll with and don’t try to make sense of. It also introduces 3 oddball main characters, and personally I feel that how well you like the dynamic between them will determine how much you get out of this show in the long run. I don’t mind them so far but they are in need of more characterization and depth to make us care more about them. As far as the first episode goes, though, I’m more than pleased with what we have. Takt Op rocks & rolls!

Potential: 60%

Sekai Saikou no Ansatsusha,
Isekai Kizoku ni Tensei suru

Short Synopsis: It’s right there in the title.

Mario: So far, Ansatsusha is a bundle of some amusing ideas wrapped up in isekai’s tired tropes. It’s such a fan-bait move to include these tropes in there, because many of them don’t need to be in this show. They could exclude the Goddess, for example, and nothing of importance would be lost. The concept of the MC carrying his assassin job to the other world is interesting, and they do spend a good deal of time showing his present life and worldview before sending him to this fantasy world. Interestingly, the LN is written by the same dude who wrote “Redo of Healer” (one of the most mean-spirited and worst shows in this genre), and in some ways this one carries the same nihilistic point of view. This is the cold world(s) of betrayal and its main attitude is “don’t believe in anyone.” So far it hasn’t raised any red flags like Redo of Healer did, but I’m nervous considering the author. The production is actually above-average, but the premise invites plenty of mind games, lots of fanservice and other genre trappings. So proceed with caution.

Potential: 20%

Amun: This OP coincides nicely with the release of the latest James Bond! In my book, this was a great first episode – especially when compared against a similar story from last season’s “The Detective is Already Dead”. High production quality, nice introduction teasers to our main cast, great backstory development, simple explanation of world rules – this is the premiere every isekai should want. Sure, there’s some service, but that’s par for the course. I previewed this series, so I have some minor understanding of where the story goes from here, and I don’t fully share Mario’s concerns. I hated Redo of a Healer with a passion (that author needs help), but Ansatsusha didn’t feel quite as mean-spirited or sadistic in the small sampling I saw. I could be wrong, as the anime has already jumped around a little, so maybe some rougher stories will be adapted this season. Until then, this is probably my dark horse of the season, and I’m looking forward to baby assassin! At least he’s just a murderer this time, not a pedo.

Potential: 75%

Shinka no Mi: Shiranai
Uchi ni Kachigumi Jinsei

Short Synopsis: Monke Isekai.

Wooper: Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. A high school class gets transported to a fantasy world with video game mechanics, but the main character gets separated from his peers, uses his Appraisal skill to level up, and… Oh, you have heard this one before? Nevermind then.

Potential: 0%

Armitage: I brought this upon myself by asking to get the new Digimon show swapped for something else more critiqueable and believe it or not, this looked like the ‘best’ choice out of all the options. But yeah, you know how this is gonna go: Generic loser MC gets drooled over by naked women out of his league, is laughably underpowered but levels up to be the baddest, kills monkeys using his body odour. Same old, same old. If this is your jam, have at it. I’d rather have my bread without any spread instead, especially when I am running late to school.

Potential: 0%

Kyuuketsuki Sugu Shinu

Short Synopsis: White guy turns to sand when touched by a bishounen.

Armitage: Madhouse used to be my favorite anime studio just a little more than half a decade ago. The sheer number of classics that this one production house has developed over time still to this day, remains unmatched. Though, in recent years, the quality of their projects has started to dwindle and their output has become something I haven’t been able to enjoy as much as I would like. Sadly, that still holds true for both of their most recent series, last season’s Sonny Boy and the vampire slapstick-comedy that is Kyuuketsuki. The fact that this is directed by Hiroshi Koujina, the director of my favorite anime of all-time: Hunter x Hunter 2011, marking his grand return to the medium after 7 years had me really looking forward to it. But it crushes my heart to say that I just don’t like it. Kyuuketsuki is supposed to be a deconstructive comedy of vampire tropes but it doesn’t work quite as well as Vanitas and sadly, unlike that series the comedy is all this show has going for. All its humor is just loud slapstick hijinks which admittedly did get a few smiles out of me at points but it all started to wear out halfway into the episode. The one positive is definitely the opening song, which is quite catchy albeit trying a little hard to capture the magic of Death Parade’s OP. Anywho, I will still be watching it because it’s Koujina but man, I’m afraid by the end, this would be adding to the long list of amusing-enough-to-justify-their-existence vampire anime rather than joining the handful of elite titles in that subgenre.

Potential: 30%

Amun: I like vampire shows. I like Hiroshi Koujina (HxH 2011 as Armi says). I usually like Madhouse. I even like the opening song. But Kyuuketsuki Sugu Shinu isn’t great. Instead of comparisons to Vanitas, I would say the most analogous show is Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle. Kyuuketsuki falls flat in introducing a truly unloveable duo of hunter and hunted – duos like this should look to Mob Psycho and have at least one character be a “good guy.” Sleepy Princess really was a Princess vs. Environment (and the demons in it), so it wasn’t as much of a bitter personal battle, like we see in Kyuuketsuki. In Sleepy Princess you could cheer for the princess while still feeling sympathy for her poor captors – Kyuuketsuki, I wanted all the characters to turn to dust, not just the vampire. Even the best joke of the episode made me wince a bit (the gold-digger). This is just shout-for-laughs and cringe humour – I’m out.

Potential: 15%

Sankaku Mado no Sotogawa wa Yoru

Short Synopsis: A spiritually sensitive bookseller takes on a part time job alongside a socially inept exorcist.

Wooper: For a show about two hot guys engaging in erotic exorcisms, this show looks ugly as hell. The animation is serviceable and the character designs are pretty, so no issues there – it’s the color adjustment that really put me off. We’re not dealing with GoHands levels of filtering, but a large portion of scenes have slight blue or yellow tints to them, which matches the ghost vision of main character Mikado. Just because a visual decision has a clear purpose doesn’t mean it’s always a good idea, though – this show is proof of that. There’s a severe lack of imagination in the way the series is shot, as well: a lot of closeups of characters in center frame, rooms that seem as though they were generated with interior design software, an abandoned apartment whose dingy look was created simply by adjusting a contrast slider. In a sentence, it’s boring to look at. As far as the characters go, the fetishism of the main duo’s exorcism technique hardly requires commentary – let’s just say that biting and licking are sometimes involved. But it doesn’t reach the level of offensive tropeyness, which means there’s still one reason to watch: Hiyakawa’s dramatic consumption of a spirit’s heart near the end, which raises questions about his true nature. I wouldn’t recommend Sankaku Mado to anyone who’s not already a member of the Supernatural BL Fan Club, but it won’t go down as fall’s worst premiere.

Potential: 15%

Lenlo: Oh yay, bad BL, just what I wanted out of the season. This show was just uncomfortable to watch. Not in the ecchi way where you don’t want to get caught on the train or something, ok well maybe a little. More in the “This isn’t entirely consensual” way. That aside though the rest of the show is just mediocre. Wooper explains the visual issues well enough and I agree with all of them. Top that off with BL tropes, an uninteresting mystery and characters that exist purely to fulfill the Seme/Uke slots in a relationship. Wooper is right that it’s probably not the worst of the season. But I have absolutely 0 desire to watch more of it.

Potential: 0%

Kyoukai Senki

Short Synopsis: A war orphan gets in the robot and pushes back against an occupying army in mid-21st century Japan.

Mario: In the same season that features 86, Kyoukai Senki carries over many of that show’s main spirits: the political undertones, the power of the repressed, the mecha in disguise and the subtlety of a hand grenade. To be frank, while the premiere never raises above average marks, I had fun watching it. I can get behind the main concept of the near future where Japan is split and there’s repression everywhere (although the show didn’t sell me at all on these poor citizen’s condition – as far as I can see the MC has a neat place to live and has food on the table, a far cry from their self-description as poor and hopeless). The lead is likeable enough, and his bond with the talkative AI is the main focus of this episode – a right choice for us to stay invested in them. Moreover, it’s the good old school 2D mecha and the fights that are frankly a breath of fresh air (so strange to use these words) now. Yes, Kyoukai Senki’s individual elements remind you of other (possibly better) shows, but so far it maintains its own beat and for me that is good enough.

Potential: 40%

Wooper: The phrase “I don’t like mecha except for Gurren Lagann” is a quick way to spot an anime casual, but there’s a reason for its proliferation: Gurren Lagann was fearless in breaking from the Gundam mold, which so many other titles stick to like glue. (TTGL took plenty of inspiration from elsewhere, but that’s another topic altogether.) Kyoukai Senki is one of the dozens of giant robot series still stuck in Yoshiyuki Tomino’s shadow, and I’m not so hungry for a new mecha series that I’m willing to overlook its slavish duplication of his work. From the corrupt military officers to the main mech’s operating system to the series’ bizarre naming sense, so much of this episode is pulled straight from the Gundam playbook, and it’s kind of hard to endure. Sunrise’s dedication to the series is clear given its traditionally animated robots, and some of the background art was nice (especially during the narrated prologue at the start). But I can’t overlook all the things Kyoukai Senki lacks – character, originality, a sense of fun – just for one or two hand-drawn mecha fights each week.

Potential: 25%

Eighty-Six S2

Short Synopsis: Five survivors of genocide find themselves in a new country while the woman who once guided them plans to change her own.

Lenlo: First up to all the doubters or critique-ers from my first review: I WAS RIGHT. Those of you who read it know what I’m talking about. Personal victories aside, this premiere was alright. It’s picking up right where we left off with the same team and all the same strengths and weaknesses of the first season. The show is pretty, the shots and direction are good and the narrative is pretty straight forward. I am a bit interested in this new Republic and its President that we’ve met, I think Eighty Six could do some fun stuff juxtaposing that with Lena’s nation, assuming it doesn’t paint it as a black and white, good vs evil sort of thing. I don’t think it will though, as the President seems to have his darker secrets. Whatever the case, the first season of Eighty Six was fun, so I’m expecting the second to be too.

Potential: 60%

Wooper: I caught up with the last few episodes of 86’s first season recently, and my expectations for S2 had actually risen by the end. The deftly-handled time jumps that left the audience to situate themselves in the story, the beautiful opening minutes of episode 10, the effective cliffhanger of the finale… They had me looking forward to this new cour. Did its premiere live up to my expectations? Of course not, but it didn’t fall too far outside of them, either.

86 is back on its “subtlety is death” bullshit, with the ultra-racist military drunks at HQ making a repeat appearance that was almost endearing in its clumsiness. They made sure to comment on Lena’s hair and uniform, too, in case there were any blind viewers in the audience. I did like one scene set in San Magnolia, where General Karlstahl silently noted Lena’s closeness with Annette (who probably won’t escape this season alive based on that tipoff), but the bulk of the cool stuff happened in the Giad Federation, where the Eighty-Sixers found themselves embroiled in a new political bog. President Ernst was about as convincing as a Gucci street vendor in his diplomatic friendliness – the show even put stark two-tone lighting on his face in one scene – but whatever’s happening with the child empress and Giad’s squabbling military chiefs could bear some interesting fruit in the coming months. 86 is talking down to its viewership once again, but judging by its runaway success, it’s also speaking their language, so I can’t fault it.

Potential: 50%

Tsuki to Laika to Nosferatu

Short Synopsis: Alternate USSR doesn’t want a PR nightmare of having a human cosmonaut die going to space, so they do the logical thing…and send a vampire.

Amun: For a show with such a meme premise, Tsuki to Laika to Nosferatu played the first episode straight. The biggest takeaway I got was…this is going to be a pretty standard, one season anime. Wide-eyed human and cold-hearted vampire train, grow closer, some political nonsense, “you’ve gotten too close”, disaster, blah blah, cute science girl, whatever. I wouldn’t say we’ve seen this exact iteration, but we’ve seen all these ideas played out before (plus if you want that secondhand guilt about exploiting minority groups, go watch 86). Nosferatu doesn’t look bad, and it doesn’t seem like it’ll be adapted badly, it’s just…I don’t really see anything special that’ll go the distance. I think the astronaut otakus who are particularly interested in the Soviet Union era space race will be enthralled, but us casuals will probably bail out halfway.

Potential: 45%

Wooper: I’ve liked all of the astronaut-themed anime I’ve seen – Wings of Honneamise, Planetes, and Space Brothers – so Tsuki to Laika had a leg up coming into this season, at least in my view. Unfortunately, the premiere approached its vampiric twist on the genre with a noncommittal blend of solemnity and camp that turned me off. There were some things I liked about the episode, especially Megumi Hayshibara’s halting, skeptical performance as Irina. She sounded decidedly alien, as though she’d studied human language extensively but had rarely spoken it, so hats off to the legendary seiyuu for another bullseye performance. I thought Lev’s character was flat by comparison, like a far less personable Jinto (there’s no doubt in my mind that Tsuki to Laika’s author was inspired by Crest of the Stars). Another thing I liked: the mild food fetishism of the scene where Irina tried salmon roe for the first time. Her strange eating habits emphasized both her nonhuman tendencies and Lev’s attraction to her in spite of them. Another thing I didn’t like: the lighting, which was dreadfully plain, even for a series that spends a lot of time in prison. Ultimately, I think the show’s second episode (when Irina’s astronaut training will begin in earnest) will be a far better barometer for its watchability, so I’ll give it another look next week. I’m not feeling super optimistic after this one, though.

Potential: 30%

Mushoku Tensei S2

Short Synopsis: A pedo is reincarnated and grooms a thirteen year old, as they travel with a mass murderer (who is the least morally repugnant character in this show).

Amun: I believe the rest of the authors are boycotting this series due to its unapologetic degeneracy. And I fully respect that sentiment – I just can’t deny this is a quality production, no matter how despicable the characters are. Because one episode into the new season….these tigers haven’t changed their stripes. We now have the obligatory goth loli making an appearance – is that going to be anime’s “jumping the shark”?. The animation and characters still look amazing – one subtle aspect of the character design is the growing children do look different (as they would in an actual year). It’s a small thing, but it’s well done. This is clearly a passion project – and its high quality reflects that. My complaints: aside from the despicable lead (actually most of the characters are pretty terrible come to think of it), I really don’t like “missed connections” – as the next episode is titled. That feels like a lazy plot device to me. I think this season will focus on transporting and be a primarily urban setting, but I’m hoping for more Roxy and less Eris (although she’s grown – very slightly – on me). And freaking kill anyone named Greyrat.

Potential: 69% (har har – Rudeus made me do it)

Lenlo: Amun would be correct (about the boycott, anyway).

Mieruko-chan

Short Synopsis: High school girl plays “You can’t see me” with spooky ghosts (or, perpetual poker-face screams internally.)

Amun: I don’t normally do horror – I think the only horror/guro shows I’ve seen are High School of the Dead, Shiki, and Another…true fans will probably disagree with my classifications of those. However, the first half of Mieruko-chan’s premiere played as I would expect from good horror setups: subtle tells, spooky foreshadowing, plenty of passed opportunities for jump scares. The big reveal: spot on, great stuff. It’s the falling action where I start to scratch my head a little – what is this show, really? I’m just concerned about the overall point of the story – if it ends up as an oddly specific fetish to seeing scared girls act brave, I’m out. As expected from the genre, there is some service, but it’s quite manageable; not quite what I would call tasteful, but not overboard. General verdict: pretty good start, but the overall direction of the show remains to be seen.

Potential: 55%

Armitage: In contrast to Amun above, I love all kinds of horror media. I know the tropes inside out. I also know that it’s categorically difficult to make anime come off as genuinely scary. I understand that the shlocky nature of this genre leads to crossover with giallo tropes like the fetishization of female characters. But again, in slight disagreement with Amun, I feel that this show overindulges in its perversion – a character’s boobs basically get more screen time than her face, we get a gratuitous shot of the MC taking off her underwear in a restroom and we also get a couple of crotch shots from below and behind. It’s too much, honestly. But I would still be willing to look past all that, if this show actually utilized the other half of its runtime doing what should be its main objective: scaring the viewer. And it does try but really, everything just falls so flat. The monster designs are not scary, the lighting and color palette are too bright, the setups are so generic, it all just feels like a slog that has you wishing for even a jump scare or something. Yeah, that’s how desperate I got. And would not be putting myself through more of this.

Potential: 10%

Muteking the Dancing Hero

Short Synopsis: A new kid in town transforms into a dancing hero to save Neo San Francisco from the evil Taco Tacos corporation.

Mario: Yes, Muteking is as silly as it sounds. It takes advantage of every opportunity to be over the top, be it the quirky designs, scream-until-it’s-funny humor, bizarre sense of logic, and a lead character who literally dances away evil and saves the world. Its nonsensical but bright tones remind me of series like Akiba’s Trip – dumb fun shows that match the energy of a teenage market more than the old me now. The show occasionally rises above the average when it depicts colorful backgrounds – the city Neo San Francisco looks dazzling – but it’s bogged down by the silliness of the plot and characters that are… I’ll be honest, kind of insulting to the audience. Muteking is like the first sip of a soft drink: it overwhelms you at first but only leaves you with an overly-sweet aftertaste. If you don’t mind all that, though, you’ll be fine with it.

Potential: 20%

Lenlo: Muteking is… it’s… I don’t… This is certainly a show. As a reboot of a franchise from the 80’s it makes sense why it has the energy it does. And as what is, effectively, a Tokusatsu show the tropes and structure it has are familiar. But I’m not really a fan of Tokusatsu. So while the 80’s aesthetic is nice and the wackiness is amusing I just can’t get into it. It’s like this season’s Back Arrow, a show trying to revel in absurdity to hide the fact that it doesn’t have anything else going for it. If wacky popcorn fun is your way to relax then I think this will be great for you. But for me it’s just going to be a waste of my time. The OP is pretty fire though, I’ll give it that. Absolute jam.

Potential: 20%

Tesla Note

Short Synopsis: Ninja girl trains for her whole life to become a spy and investigates Nikola Tesla’s crazy inventions.

Amun: I didn’t know anything about this show before watching the first episode, except that I really like Teslas (the cars). However, that positive word association isn’t nearly enough to carry me through this drag of a first episode. Oh look, high school ninja girl whose training to save the world (although, the best part of this episode is when she was worried her grandfather was nuts – I can’t complain just because of that). Aside from Shinigami Bocchan from last season, I don’t normally stomach 3DCGs, and Tesla Note isn’t going to add to those exceptions. What’s weird is there are some conventional background characters, but the mains are crappy 3DCG – I would have preferred it the other way around. The action is as good as it could be (some spotty animation here and there), but the plot and the characters just feel so generic, I struggled through. Pass from me.

Potential: 0%

Mario: Gosh, this thing looks abysmal, and I can totally see where the compirasion to Ex-Arm comes from. Just look at this cut to see how bad the production looks. In its defense, the show is still competent at displaying goofy facial expressions, but its 3DCG looks amateurish in every other department. The writing is not good either. As spies, the main character and her partner have James Bond levels of subtlety and Shinji levels of stubborness. As far as the plot goes, it’s mildly intriguing as they used the real figure Nikola Tesla, but it still feels generic by the end of this episode. I won’t mince words here, Tesla Note is terrible. Its story is nothing to speak of, its characters are loud and the visuals remain the “talk” of the show, albeit for a rather embarrassing reason.

Potential: 0%

Blue Period

Short Synopsis: A high-functioning delinquent falls in love for the first time.

Lenlo: If I’m being honest, I don’t think Blue Period needs or benefits from an adaptation. Oh it looks fine. So far we are getting the colors I wanted, something to set it apart from the bright moe-blobs of every season. And as Armi says below the score and VA work are nice. But in its transition to an anime Blue Period has lost what I think is one of its greatest strengths (and manga’s as a whole): Self pacing. The ability to decide how fast, or slow, you consume a story. The option to sit and linger on a single page for 10 minutes soaking in the art and narrative. And Blue Period is a series that benefits from that more than most. The way it uses art and the expressions of its characters, these things I always want to look at for minutes at a time. But I can’t do that with an anime. Instead I get the Director’s pacing, I’m forced to move through the story at a rate that I don’t necessarily like. So yeah. I like Blue Period, I think it’s an acceptable adaptation so far and that should be enough to get what is one of the stronger stories of the season across well. But I honestly recommend anyone that enjoys the anime to go read the manga afterwards, at your pace.

Potential: 70%

Armitage: On the surface, Blue Period is the kind of story we have seen every possible iteration of in all forms of media. It’s an underdog story about a guy starting from the bottom and trying to succeed against insurmountable odds. Well, that’s what the core premise would have you believe, at least. Still, Blue Period is one story that so many people who are familiar with it have the deepest connection towards and that’s because they see themselves mirrored in it. Their dreams, their aspirations, their self-doubt, their constant yearning to belong. This is a story that channels all these feelings within its narrative and it does so without a hint of pretense. There are no shounen clichés here, no overpowered protagonists and no malicious villains. Blue Period wears its heart on its sleeve but it’s also a rather erudite narrative. It is no exaggeration to say that I have learned more about artistic expression through this one series (and by researching the various concepts it introduces) than I have from all previous instances of my exposure to art, combined. So, yeah, basically this is as accomplished as modern source material for an anime can possibly get.

Which leaves us with the adaptation. And honestly, it’s pretty damn solid. See, all I wanted from this premiere was for it to just have consistent animation, art pieces that do not look uninspired, voices that fit the characters and a general color palette that feels like it understands the manga’s ethos. And we get all that. Add to that a fantastically understated background score and you have got a classic in the making.

Though, as a disclaimer for potential viewers, I would say that if the somewhat uneventful pace or its naturalistic approach to dramatic storytelling that you saw in the premiere was something you didn’t like, you might not enjoy Blue Period by the end. This is not a story that will ever get your blood pumping with exhilaration but it might just build a new home for itself along the least visited roads of your heart, if you let it.

Potential: To be what you need.

Selection Project

Short Synopsis: American Idol: Anime edition (or, The Goddess of Idol School).

Armitage: This show basically shoots itself in the foot by starting off with a first half that’s basically 200 characters thrown at the viewer without any build-up. Like really, the only thing you can get from the first 10 minutes of this premiere is that this show has pretty character designs, which is to be expected from Doga Kobo. But credit where credit is due, the actual production of Selection Project is really solid. Detailed backgrounds, great attention to detail like the smart TV connected to the tablet and an actual ‘korean heart’ symbol for the reality show’s ‘Like’ icon make the world feel modern and lived in while the impressive character animations bring the characters to life. It’s a shame that the show barely focuses on all our lead to have us make any connection to her goal of becoming an idol. Which is a shame because the scene in which she has a panic attack on screen is masterfully done without a hint of melodrama. All in all, I did see enough positives here to believe that if Selection Project can narrow down its focus to a manageable amount of characters, it can be a very watchable show.

Potential: 50%

Mario: Selection Project combines two popular formats (singing competitions and anime) into one and for me, those are the two pop culture mediums that I have spent the most time watching when I want to relax and shut down my brain. So far it’s not entirely successful – the main girl does not particularly stand out, the supporting cast is so broad that we only see their dominant (read: stock) traits so far, and the singing competition has some questionable rules. But there are two things that make Selection Project different from your normal idol show. First, Selection Project is more about individual competition than forming an idol group so the dynamic is going to be different – the cast doesn’t have to work together but sees each other more as rivals. Second, the decision to drop our lead character from the competition at the end is a welcome one, not because she won’t be back (she will), but more because the show pulls no punches on having the character experience failure and hurt. This is good enough to guarantee a second chance from me.

Potential: 30%

Isekai Shokudou 2

Short Synopsis: A blonde demon waitress begrudgingly shares some leftover corn potage after a hard day’s work.

Wooper: I’d only seen the first episode of Isekai Shokudou 1 before jumping into Isekai Shokudou 2, so you’ll have to pardon me if I’m missing some critical lore, but this premiere was just as average as the first. That’s not a damning indictment or anything (more than half of anime are well below average, in direct violation of mathematical principles), but given the concept behind the series, it could aim a lot higher. Imagine a version of this show where the focus stays on the patrons at the restaurant, rather than the Goody Two-Shoes demon who works there, and over time we develop a roster of regulars who discuss current events and swap stories over delicious food. I’d love to see a more topical version of this show, or watch as a mage and a druid strike up a romance after a few dates at the restaurant, rather than listen to the show extol the virtues of cheese at multiple points per episode. I know I’m criticizing the show for what it isn’t, rather than what it is, but that’s because the show is neither good nor bad – it’s merely a competent, low-stakes fantasy series to throw on after work. It doesn’t need to be anything else, but that also means it’s not my bag.

Potential: 50%

Amun: …Wooper, you gotta watch more than the first episode if you’re going to ask for something, because that’s basically what the first season was. The mistreated demon and the dragon telepath get maybe one more episode than the other patrons, but the regulars do get the lion’s share of the focus – seeing them here four years later, I still remember all their favorite dishes. However, everything in this episode isn’t hunky dory. The animation was a little suspect, especially in the early action sequences. Isekai Shokudou has, and will always, suffer from a cast that grows exponentially. Watching someone experience commonplace human food for the first time can get old. But it’s a light hearted show that doesn’t get hung up on delusions of grandeur (looking at you, Sonny Boy) – Isekai Shokudou is the OG of the isekai small business simulators, and – in my opinion – the best.

Potential: 70%

D_Cide Traumerei the Animation

Short Synopsis: Handsome fighter fights some hands.

Mario: I’m most forgiving of fully-3D shows compared to the rest of the writers here, so I tend to be in favor of Sanzigen’s products, no matter how off-putting they look. D_Cide looks solid as I’m in tune with its aesthetic, and occasionally its use of color looks impressive to me. What I’m not sold on at all is the story, as so far it’s nothing to speak of. The main character jumps between dreams and reality – an intriguing plot in its own right – but sadly the show uses it more as a plot device to bring him to battle with CG monsters. The only storytelling beat where I feel the show gets it right is when our protagonist practices kick-boxing before all this happens. That scene speaks to me as I can see his personality right there, making his grief for his brother’s passing part of his routine, while at the same time foreshadowing his ability at the end. His war cry of “KNOCKER UP” kills the vibe a tad bit, but as things stand I am willing to give the show a few more episodes.

Potential: 30%

Wooper: Of all the stupid battle-oriented CG anime I’ve sampled over the years, D_Cide is among the stupidest. To provide a bit of context, I can’t decide whether it’s better or worse than this season’s Scarlet Nexus, which was terrible in its own right. Everything from the main character’s scalene triangle earring to the female characters’ overwrought designs to the good guys’ combat titles (Knocker-ups) are dumb with a capital “D”. The only thing I liked about the story was the main character’s martial artistry, which provides some insight into how he processed his brother’s passing – taking his departed sibling’s passion and making it his own. That fighting style is carried into his Knocker-up form, allowing him to punch giant hand monsters right in their smug zipper mouths. Those scenes are about as nonsensical as they sound, and the show’s flirtation with dreams and portals will surely muddy the waters as D_Cide progresses. Between its strange mishmash of visual ideas and its relative lack of interest in character building, there’s not a lot here to hope for. When the best thing about an anime is the ten second piano/guitar lick at the start of the OP, you know it’s a skippable experience.

Potential: 10%

Deatte 5-byou de Battle

Short Synopsis: A lone gamer dies and is summoned to a Gantz-like world for a battle royale (I made it sound more interesting than it really is).

Lenlo: I don’t know if I like Deatte or if it’s just one of the least-bad things I’ve seen so far this season. Visually it’s a mess. Deatte can’t seem to figure out how people move, how objects interact with each other or that desks don’t just fall through people. Meanwhile the characters are about as shallow as you would expect from a “death battle with super powers” style anime. Maybe some fun will be had with our borderline autistic MC who has no emotions and can’t view the world as anything other than a game, but I doubt it. No, the only value in Deatte will come from how interesting it can make its battles. The MC’s power is actually rather clever and I think if utilized well it can lead to some fun mind games. There issue there though is that I have 0 faith in Deatte to be able to avoid bullshiting its own system. For now though I can at least give it the benefit of the doubt in this drought of a season, and listen to some… interesting (?) cat girl voicework along the way.

Potential: 10%

Mario: If there’s ever been a subgenre that I don’t give a damn about, it’s Death Games. The premise for these kinds of shows is simple: you need to clear several missions, or you’re dead. While they provide many fun twists and turns, they suffer in almost every other arena. The characters are cardboard cutouts. The story runs on game logic, and has plot holes and inconsistencies all over the place. The lead boy is charmless and even unlikeable. The same extends to the whole cast and even the cat girl who pushes the boundaries of annoying voicework. Deatte 5-byou is a good example of all the ways this subgenre can screw up. It’s a silly premise with an empty cast and mediocre production. No reason to revisit this one.

Potential: 5%

Night Head 2041

Short Synopsis: Psychics time travel to a futuristic post-WW3 city and go up against a team of cyberpunk super soldiers.

Armitage: Apart from having a title that can be easily mistaken for a hentai doujin, this show doesn’t do a whole lot more to stand out. Still, it’s just the absolute mediocrity of this season that had me getting some sort of enjoyment out of its runtime. The premise is right out of a 12-year-old’s fever dream but apparently the writer who came up with that storyline forgot to think about any characters who would carry said story. That’s why most of the characters end up feeling stiff CGI caricatures simply present to list out names and motivations of other characters, most of whom never even get introduced during the premiere. The writing in general is very obtuse and expository and might very well alienate its target audience. The one positive is definitely the setting. “That’s cool and all, but make it cyberpunk” seems to be the new narrative model of late when it comes to entertainment media but thankfully Night Head 2041 does seem to get the environmental ambiance right most of the time. The CGI while still very noticeable doesn’t look nearly as bad as Ex-Arm. So that’s… good. I guess?

Potential: 35%

Lenlo: Night Head is a weird show. Visually it’s all over the place. The CGI characters, as CGI does in Japan, look stiff and lifeless 90% of the time. Meanwhile the backgrounds and general aesthetic of the show look quite nice! The lighting and diffusion, backgrounds, some fun camera shots/movements that can’t easily be done in 2D. Night Head was clearly envisioned as 3D from the beginning and makes use of that but is limited by the CGI anime pipeline. On the story side of things I think it’s… fine? It’s basically the X-Men, which I’m down for. But I’m unfamiliar with author George Iida’s other works, so I don’t know how it will pan out. For now though I’m curious enough to give it a shot, if only to see what the director can do in his debut.

Potential: 20%

Shiroi Suna no Aquatope

Short Synopsis: A failed idol and an overworked highschooler collide in a quiet, mystical…aquarium?

Mario: Ahh P.A. Works, how conflicted my love for you. Watching Aquatope, I have two conflicting trains of thoughts toward it: as the quality of the episode itself, and as an input towards the studio’s canon. As far as the former goes, they deliver an overall excellent episode. There’s an air of melancholy from the way the main character navigates this new world, or to be more exact, runs away from her own that I found believable, and the two main girls’ interaction so far sparkles with great chemistry. On top of that, it’s these side characters (don’t know if they reappear) that the main girl interacts with steal the scene they are in – special shoutout to the cheeky fortune teller. On the flip side, however, Aquatope has the same “feel” as P.A. Works other works, and the fact that most of their works start out strong, then crumble in the last half (last year’s Kamisama, the director’s last effort’s Irozuku just to name a few) doesn’t bring me much confidence in this. I’m afraid this is gonna be another case where there’s little plot to move forward, so the characters retreat to the variations of the same themes. Time will tell on that front, but my point remains that I keep my expectation reasonably medium so that it won’t let me down, hard, like their previous efforts.

Potential: 60%

Amun: I like most P.A. Works projects – well, more accurately, most of each P.A. Works project – and Aquatope is a welcome sight for sore isekai eyes this season.  This episode looked great – wonderful settings, great atmosphere, just a wholly enticing package.  I would be incredibly hopeful….except we just had Kamisama ni Natta Hi start exactly like this.  However, I’m seeing parallels to the more successful projects with the characters here – so far, it’s a pretty tight crew.  That’s good.  There’s also some mystical nonsense taking place – that’s bad.  Director Shinohara worked a good amount on Hanasaku Iroha, and I feel a very similar vibe from this opening, so there’s some real potential here.  Plus I’m enough Japanese to feel spiritually connected to fish and the ocean, so I’m really this show’s to lose here.  Come on Aquatope, you can do it!

Potential: 75%

Tsuki ga Michibiku Isekai Douchuu

Short Synopsis: Highschooler gets reincarnated into another world in Isekai’s latest shallow attempt at humorous meta-commentary on the genre.

Lenlo: Let’s be honest: This is just a crappy Konosuba/Cautious Hero/”Insert Isekai Deconstruction here”. Like these other shows Tsuki wants us to believe it’s different. That it’s aware of the tropes, that we are all in on the joke and that by acknowledging that fact we can all laugh at the meta-humor that is Tsuki’s main shtick. But like the rest of these Isekai Tsuki fails to realize that acknowledging the tropes and the jokes is not the same as deconstructing them. There are still levels, the MC is still powerful, there’s still a harem/waifu’s, etc etc. Tsuki falls into all the same traps on purpose but fails to do anything remotely interesting with them. Instead it approaches all of them with an on the nose and obvious sense of humor. And if you ask me? The humor sucks. There is nothing in Tsuki that you haven’t seen done better before. I don’t even like the other shows I listed here but at least they had the novelty of trying to do it first.

Potential: Watch anything else instead.

Mario: There are two contraction ideas that run through Tsuki isekai’s first episode that kind of negate each other’s power: that the show is meant to be a parody of the genre so it has the main boy character who can predict what will happen to him (mostly off the mark though), but at the same time, it sticks by the rules conveniently (as much as he proclaims otherwise, he’s still OPed as heck). The fact that despite all these it remains funny kind of speaks to its strengths. The satire humor is present there, where our man serves as a straight man that serves as good foil against his mean Goddess, the Dragon and the situation he ends up with. Should he remain helpless and have no clue how the new world works, it would bring something more interesting to the table. The ability he acquired – that he can speak other races’ languages – is interesting but yet to reach full potential. It’s a better isekai (which admittedly a low bar to begin with), and potentially a better show out of this underwhelmed season.

Potential: 30%

Meikyuu Black Company

Short Synopsis: Financial-bro gets reincarnated and has to do manual labor.  

Amun: So this is a strange trend I’ve noticed gaining some traction: anti-heroes.  Not like “shades of grey” – no, these are just terrible human beings who we have to follow around for a story.  Sometimes, it’s funny.  Last season was Sentouin, Hakenshimasu! which had a few bright spots.  No such luck with Meikyuu Black Company – this is a drab 20 minutes.  Animators’ wrists were worn for the creation of this.  Can you believe that?  They could have done another season of Heaven’s Memo Pad (never going to give that up), but nope – we get this instead.

Potential: Please make it stop.

Armitage: Okay, yeah. This is bad. This is Isekai satire done so black that its stains never wash off. Or at least I think it’s a satire? Though I might very well be giving the show too much credit because on face value, this is a story focusing on a downright hateable character. The protagonist, a self-made, high-functioning, multi-billionaire NEET feels like he’s always looking down on everyone including the audience. Instead of trying to make him stand out as much as possible the show goes so over the top with his mannerisms and monologues that it makes you want to quit watching this premiere after 5 minutes of maniacal screaming. But I am a professional who does her job judiciously, so I stuck with it to the bitter end. See, lovely reader? This is the kind of thing we put ourselves through so you don’t have to.

Potential: Advil needed.

Kobayashi-san Chi no Maidragon S

Short Synopsis: A programmer and her live-in maid are threatened by a bizarrely proportioned interloper (who gives Kobayashi-san an unexpected package).

Wooper: You can’t keep a good studio down, and with all the dirt we’ve learned about the anime industry in recent years, Kyoto Animation might be the only good studio left in the game. Their TV comeback would be worth celebrating no matter what form it took, but thankfully it took Dragon Maid form – the sequel to my favorite recent show of theirs. The changes in series and art directors didn’t stop this episode from looking fabulous, from well-timed comedic gestures to meticulous background design to the effects-heavy dragon duel during the second act. My favorite part of this premiere had to be Tohru’s employment at a maid cafe, as it made excellent use of her personal pride and high-energy temperament. Everything to do with newcomer Ilulu is where I’m more mixed, and not just because her aggressive attitude threatens the series’ trademark domesticity. It’s more that her tire-sized tits and pubic pranks mark her as an obvious conduit for the author’s fetishes, which aren’t exactly up my alley. I have faith that her interest in Miss Kobayashi will eventually exit the sexual realm, but it’s hard to get too hyped for the rest of this season when a prominent new character seems intent on perverting as much of it as she can.

Potential: 70%

Amun: If you’re not cheering for KyoAni to get back on their feet, then you’re not an anime fan. Period. And what better show to do it with than the warm and fuzzy, feel-good story of Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid? A wholesome show of the everyday-life interactions between a powerless human and her ridiculously overpowered, but platonically playful, live-in dragon maid. Well….that was the plan anyways until a busty, pants-less loli shows up and causes our heroine to grow a new member. I’m sorry, what?! Everything else was fine – this first episode looked gorgeous, the fight scene was great, nice reintroduction to all the dragons around town….but yeah. I just foresee this going down an oddly specific route, and that’s not necessary – service didn’t make the first season succeed. Honestly, I’m a little upset – there’s just no need to do that and ruin a perfectly good thing (that’s what Miss Kobayashi said ^_^). I’d even say this was the best slice of life setup currently airing. Most seasonal watchers are counting on Kobayashi-san to carry as one of the few tent poles this season, but suddenly I’m concerned about the only show I thought was a guaranteed win.

Potential: I don’t even know.

Seirei Gensouki

Short Synopsis: I forgot so I had to google it – some generic isekai, childhood friend, magic, torture, revenge crap.

Amun: Man, Wooper had his old man rant in the last post – at that point, this season had still not broken me. After watching Seirei Gensouki, that all changes. It’s as if the creator thought “if I pour every component of every isekai into one, surely it will have a soul.” Friend, that’s actually a homunculus, and FMA – an actually good show – discussed how that all turns out. Seirei Gensouki is just regurgitated garbage with new characters, old plotlines that we’re supposed to care about – despite seeing these tropes many, many times – in fact, there are better versions this season. Despite that, there’s at least one fan – and they’ve written a tremendous character summary on Wikipedia. Not that it entices me to watch the show, but wow, someone cared enough to type all that out. Maybe I should take up golf as my hobby instead…

Potential: Get off my lawn

Armitage: See, there’s ‘MC getting into an accident and waking up in a fantasy world’ and then there’s ‘a whole moving bus being side-rammed by a ZOOMING FREIGHT TRAIN and the MC still waking up in a fantasy world’. And since the latter does happen in Seirei Gensouki, it’s one of the first signs that just mayyybe, this isn’t a very subtle show. But you know, first impressions can be deceptive. Let’s give it a fair shot. So, our protagonist needs to protect the female lead who was his childhood friend? Well, sure. We need to give the audience something to relate to, obviously. What’s that? He also needs to take revenge for his mother?? Oh, uh, okay. Guess he’s a savior-of-all-women type. Sure… Huh? What’s that you say? He’s also an immigrant (a term defined in the MC’s own words as someone who “lives in slums and wears dirty, tattered clothes”) and named after the most famous city in South America?! Um, just try and be somewhat careful of the ground you’re treading on her— and we now have the immigrants massacred. So, the boy gotta take revenge for that too. Brilliant. Remind me when the aliens show up to teach our MC time travel, will ya?

Potential: Generic isekai trash: Model #242

Cheat Kusushi no Slow Life: Isekai ni Tsukurou Drugstore

Short Synopsis: Unnecessary isekai about a drug store.

Amun: Ah, instead of Isekai Restaurant simulator, we get Isekai drugstore simulator. Oh, so it’s going to be like that Monster Musume Doctor show? Wait, there’s only 3 characters? And they were designed in Microsoft Paint? Also, what’s up with the love of energy drinks? Last season’s second slime isekai (no, not the good one) had an energy drink vendor there too. Oh there’s a dog-girl…I feel as if those have supplanted cat-girls. I also really enjoy watching like 5 minute meltdowns of characters I just met. You know, this show isn’t funny – this is some uncomfortable emotional trauma. By the way, these are actually a bunch of shorts bundled into a full time slot. Hey look, it’s over. I hope reading this meandering paragraph convinced you never to watch this show.

Potential: 0%

Mario: Some would argue that Drugstore Isekai is unassumed and relaxed, for me it’s just lazy. And it’s funny how watching the entire first episode I still don’t get where the “Cheat” in the title came from, guess I’ll never find that out anymore (they missed their chance to call it Drugstore Cowboy!!!). Like any generic isekai, our transported protagonist has it a bit too easy – by the time the episode begins, he’s already famous to the point that every villager compliments his products as “delicious” – weird considering it’s medicine he’s selling. Then there’s the shameless fan-service as he already has cute animal girls working for him, causing me to shrug when I saw half a dozen other girls lining up in the OP. The show tries hard to please people – to put audiences into their comfort zone, but it’s just too broad to leave any lasting impact. It might put viewers to sleep, though, and if that’s the goal, it does its job miraculously (or is it his “delicious” potions at play?).

Potential: zzz

Getter Robo Arc

Short Synopsis: An irradiated human being teams up with a part-dinosaur pilot to defend Earth from an alien invasion.

Wooper: Arc is the fifth installment in Ken Ishikawa’s Getter Robo series, starring the son of a major character and a pilot from the original series who now plays the role of brilliant scientist. You need some prior Getter knowledge to make these connections, but they aren’t vital to understanding what’s going on, because what’s going on is simple: aliens are attacking, and they have to be stopped. There’s a crudeness to the art in this new series that makes it look like a cheap Saturday morning cartoon, but it’s synergistic in a way – most of the characters are the rough-and-tumble sort (especially Takuma), and the ruined future where the series takes place doesn’t exactly require a polished rendering. The biker gangs and junkyard mafias who populate this new Earth might have some facial features out of place, but since their faces exist to get punched, that’s no big loss. Even the CG used for the Getter mechs is a step up from what we saw in the original PV. It’s weird to see Ryoma’s son say that something looks “jank as hell,” but liberties in translation aside, Arc is still the Getter you remember – for better and for worse.

Potential: 50%

Mario: I honestly wasn’t aware of the Getter Robo franchise before watching this, but the old-school artstyle and designs and its epic battles remind me a good deal of Giant Robo. Had it stuck to the “old-school” all the way, the episode would fare much better than this. One of the first issues with Getter Robo Arc is that the obvious CG alien design doesn’t mesh very well with the rest of the story. It feels as if we are watching two different shows altogether. The second issue lies in its pacing. The show assumes the audience has basic knowledge of the characters and their abilities beforehand (I presume?), because it proceeds almost incomprehensibly. Many things are unclear: the main characters’ relationship is unexplained, the reason why they have to fight the aliens is never explained, and what the heck is the mecha that they pilot? All these make it a premiere that is epic in concept, occasionally interesting to watch, and totally unattached when it comes to emotional connection. Too bad!

Potential: Too bad!

Tantei wa mou, Shindeiru

Short Synopsis: An extremely unlucky middle schooler is conscripted into being a now-deceased detective’s assistant.

Armitage: I must really be losing my ability to overlook how juvenile LN writing can be at times because I lost count of the number of times I rolled my eyes at the screen in this premiere. The fact that it was an hour long special didn’t help its case either as so much of it felt like needless padding. The show tries to make its lead into a “quirky” detective with deadpan quips like she’s the anime embodiment of RDJ from those sub-standard Sherlock movies, but it just doesn’t work. The very few times I laughed during most of the runtime, I was left wondering if it was a joke that the characters played off as or were they being deadly serious?? And most of the time, they are being deadly serious. This is a show that makes you feel dumb by pretending to be wayyy smarter than it is. While in reality, it’s kind of a poor-man’s Elementary with almost none of the charm. Either way, I personally would not be watching any more of it.

Potential: 15%

Amun: Ah. This is familiar ENGI studio fare. If you’re worried about the opening quality – you should be, it’s a bad sign. I see all the hallmarks of animation overambition and shortcuts to try and make it work. The result is an almost passable episode that I have no faith in going forward. I will say that the premiere itself was handled pretty well in terms of direction and adapting sub-par source material. The dialogue didn’t drag on like in the manga and the banter was halfway decent. The problem is the chemistry between the leads will be entirely gone next episode as, well, the detective is already dead. I’m normally pretty optimistic, but this is a sinking ship, no two ways about it.

Potential: 30%

Genjitsu Shugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki

Short Synopsis: High Schooler who read half of “The Prince” is better at ruling a country than a 13th generation monarch.

Amun: (I will not mention Amagi Brilliant Park, I will not mention Amagi Brilliant Park…). So I have actually read some of the source material here…and truthfully, it was better than this premiere. I mean, it didn’t really make sense in paper form, and it sure doesn’t make a lot of sense in moving pictures (what on earth does finding a family have to do with running a country?). That said, this should be pretty hard to screw up – a studious, overly serious Japanese man brings order to a bunch of idiots and accidentally gets a harem on the way. You won’t win any points for originality, but there are worse ideas for a show (like, this season. There are worse ideas this season). It doesn’t look that bad either – some of the character designs have some rough moments, but overall I think this level of quality should be doable for thirteen episodes. The bar is just set so low, that I think if it can manage this level of animation and maybe a slightly more interesting plot (just throw new characters at it, it’ll be fine), then I’ll see this one through. Goodness, this season is terrible.

Potential: 60% (any other season would be 20%)

Wooper: Do you all ever stop and think about the consequences of all these isekai adaptations for anime fandom as a whole? Most people who still read text blogs are on the older side, meaning we formed an image of what anime was in our youth, but there are thousands of kids coming to anime every day without any such preconceptions. They’re not going through the Toonami gauntlet or watching whatever gets dubbed in their native language – they’re typing “watch anime” into Google, settling on the most operable pirate site they can find, and clicking on whatever looks cool. And really, what’s cooler than a thumbnail of a normal-looking guy surrounded by cute girls in appealing fantasy outfits? What choice could be safer than a show whose title makes it sound like a gamer’s dream? For some of these teenage newcomers, this subgenre is not just a corner of the anime market; it’s the cornerstone of their pop culture diet. Ask them what anime is, and once you get past its country of origin and general aesthetic, words like “reincarnation” and “summoning” are likely to crop up. There’s a potential future out there where isekai supplants shounen as top dog, which would result in a lot more Genjitsu Shugi Yuushas – and given how unspeakably dull this one was, I’m not eager to see that future realized.

Potential: None for me