Category: Some Quick First Impressions

Tasokare Hotel

Short Synopsis: When someone dies, they are placed in-between worlds at a strange hotel where they must find clues about themselves and decide whether to go to heaven or return to Earth.

Mario: Have you ever been to an escape room? Well, this episode offers something akin to being in an escape room trying to figure a way out, with a Death Parade twist (geez, that show is… 10 years old now). Our main girl must find clues within her room to learn who she was, why she died and all that jazz. That premise might not appeal to all audiences, but for me what makes it fare a bit better is how it also focuses on the eccentric staff in this hotel. So much so that it actually makes sense when the main heroine decides to remain there to work. Along the way of finding out why she died, she ends up helping another customer first. That section – while still interesting – is amongst my least favorite parts of the episode. For instance, it required knowledge that our main girl just happened to have learned in her past life, which feels too far-fetched. I do enjoy the interior designs of the hotel, as well as the character designs of the cast. Overall, I wouldn’t mind watching more episodes of this.
Potential: 30%

The Apothecary Diaries S2

Short Synopsis: More Apothecary Diaries.

Lenlo: With Lakan out of the picture, Apothecary Diaries has, mostly, managed to return to its previous level of quality. The directing and storyboarding is a bit lackluster, I can’t think of any scenes or shots that really stood out to me the same way portions of the original did, but the dynamic between Jinshi and Mao Mao is still there, as is all of the palace politics. Regretfully though, there’s no major thread or story really setup in the first episode, giving me very little to judge the upcoming arcs on. Will it be some of the good stuff, like the early arcs surrounding the concubines? Or will it be more on the mediocre end, like the metal-workers or Lakan? Only time will tell, and Apothecary Diaries has been good enough in the past that I’m willing to pay attention and hear it out for a bit, but I’m not convinced Apothecary Diaries has the consistency to keep me interested.
Potential: 45%

Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf!

Short Synopsis: A Japanese salaryman shows an elf from his dreams around Tokyo after she wakes up in his bed.

Wooper: The most refreshing thing about this show is that Marie, the titular elf, doesn’t feel the need to hide her fondness for the main character, nor for the strange human world to which she was involuntarily summoned. “Nihon e Youkoso, Elf-san” still engages in plenty of tropeyness – Marie is a big-chested fantasy babe who wakes up naked in the male protagonist’s bed, after all – but she also has an unreserved personality and an infectious love of new experiences. She reacts excitedly at the prospect of exploring Tokyo, inquires about Japanese landmarks and customs with interest, and doesn’t hesitate to slip her hand around the protagonist’s arm as they walk down a path lined by cherry trees. As for the main character himself, he’s an inoffensive mid-twenties office worker whose favorite hobby is sleeping – I can’t exactly blame him, since his dreams reliably transport him to an (apparently real) fantasy world, but he does come off as more than a bit boring. Even he gets a couple good jokes, though, such as sneaking up on a monster in a temple only to give him a high five and reveal their friendship to Marie. The vibes are good all around, so even if I’ll never watch another episode of Ms. Elf, I’d call this premiere a success.
Potential: 25%

Zenshuu

Short Synopsis: An anime director dies eating bad clam and is teleported to the world of their favorite movie, finally having the chance to change the outcome.

Lenlo: As much as it tries to appear as something more, playing up the 90’s fantasy anime style and tropes as well as a “darker” story, Zenshuu really is just another Isekai show, complete with an OP MC. Initially I thought her OP power would just be perfect knowledge, this being a movie she’s seen a ridiculous amount of times before. Instead, she’s basically able to re-write reality however she wants, creating monsters and weapons for whatever is needed. Now yes, it looks fantastic. Zenshuu had some absolutely stunning setpieces, the lead’s “transformation” being so over the top I almost thought she was about to become a magical girl. It almost feels like a fluff piece if I’m being honest, like they wanted to create some kind of mix between Shirobako and an isekai, to celebrate what it means to animate. Sadly though it leans way more into the Isekai part, complete with all the narrative trappings that involves. Maybe it will improve as the show goes on, I’m willing to stick around a bit to find out, but I don’t have high hopes.
Potential: 35%

Amun: Oops, I definitely did not understand what this show was about before watching the premiere. I thought this was going to be about a mangaka who learned about romance and had some imaginative anime experiences. I did not expect said mangaka to be thrown into an isekai with a super powered pen! Zenshuu is very disjointed visually – some parts look AMAZING (magical girl transformation, parts of the big fight scene), then others look extremely dated – basically all the “other-world-of-the-anime” characters. It’s a bit unpleasant, because you know the show can look better than it does. I’m kind of interested (the drawing superpower reminds me of Undead Unluck, which was pretty decent). For one of the higher touted non-sequels though, my expectations have been severely tempered.
Potential: 45%

Dr. Stone: Science Future

Short Synopsis: Season 4 of Dr. STONE.

Lenlo: I’ll admit, I’m basing a lot of this score on what I know to be coming rather than the episode itself. With multiple cours coming it’s all but guaranteed this is taking us to the end of the series, and there’s loads of great stuff in there. Dr. Xeno is, without question, the best villain in the series, and everything that happens in America between him and Senku is great. The issue is that the arc takes a bit to really get started, as seen with this sort of transitory episode as Dr. STONE reminds us of where we are, what we’re doing, and reintroduces the whole cast. An issue with long-running series I suppose, because there’s really no way around it. Still, production looks about the same as previous seasons, all of the character dynamics are still there, and I have a lot of faith in this team to see this final fantastic arc through.
Potential: 60%

Promise of Wizard

Short Synopsis: A young woman is summoned to another world as their Great Sage, destined to lead all of the hot young ikemen into battle.

Lenlo: Look, this is just a reverse harem show, there’s nothing else here. Girl gets dragged into another world on some bogus mishap, a bunch of hot guys come to save her while pledging themselves as her knights, there are some homoerotic undertones to all of the guys’ interactions with each other, that’s basically it. The show doesn’t look good, the designs are mediocre and differentiated almost entirely on hair color, and most of the episode takes place in like… one location. It’s just not very good.
Potential: 0%

Medalist

Short Synopsis: A young girl learns to figure skate against her mother’s wishes while her coach lives his dreams through teaching her.

Lenlo: Been a while since our last figure skating anime, only one I can remember was Yuri on Ice. Where that was all about the highest levels of competition though, big flash moves and Olympic level events, Medalist takes a more traditional, ground up approach. We get to see a girl learn the sport from the start, growing and learning the whole way. Meanwhile her teacher gets to live his dreams vicariously through her. And it’s that relationship that sets Medalist apart from other sports series for me. We’re not just following kids, highschoolers, and their naive “I will win at any cost” attitude like we so often do. Her coach is just as important as she is, in fact he’s the point-of-view character for basically the entire episode. His desire to see her succeed, to prove everyone wrong about it being too late to learn, to live that dream he gave up on in his youth, is just as important as her own story. And you know what? I bought it. I’m not sure if the production will keep up, if their dynamic will work for an entire series or what kind of development and growth they will go through, but I want to see what Inori and Tsukasa can do.
Potential: 60%

Mario: Let me start first by saying I believe Medalist has all the right ingredients to be a sleeper hit of this season, or at least to gather some passionate followers. This premiere does its job competently – introducing two lead characters who are different in personality and age but are passionate about figure skating, and laying a solid foundation for the girl Inori to be trained by Tsukasa. I’m not entirely sold on the whole ordeal, though. First, I found the mix between melodrama and comedy doesn’t really mesh well together. There are a few scenes, especially involving Tsukasa, that aim to lighten the mood right in the middle of a conflict, which gave me tonal whiplash. Also it tends to amp up its drama – Inori is on the verge of tears most of the time and I think the show will mine that. But most of all, as someone who has a high performance sports background, what sticks out to me – in a bad way – is Tsukasa’s lack of qualification. He is unprepared to take on the coach’s role and has no concrete plan whatsoever to coach his new pupil. The way he screams to make her mother accept his proposal, for example, is a big no-no in real life. On the positive spectrum, I quite enjoy the animation plus the choreography (not flashy, but does its job), and the chemistry between the two leads is solid. Yep, so despite some minor issues, I still think we ended up with a winner here.
Potential: 50%

Hana wa Saku, Shura no Gotoku

Short Synopsis: After much convincing, a shy first year high schooler agrees to join the broadcasting club.

Wooper: Hana wa Saku is one of the only winter shows for which I had any real expectations, mostly on the basis of the source manga’s authorship (it’s by the author of the Hibike Euphonium novels). Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to those hopes – this episode was about as simple as premieres get when it comes to high school club anime. In the words of sophomore student Mizuki, “Where there’s a flower, you water it. Where there’s a promising first year student, you recruit her.” And that’s just what Mizuki does, asking protagonist Hana (whose name means “Flower,” get it?) over and over to join the broadcasting club, sensing that she has a knack for their style of poetry recitations. The way the entire episode hinges on the question of whether Hana will accept her invitation is too simple by half. After expressing a dislike of her own lack of self-confidence during a sleepover with Mizuki, her doubts about her own abilities are washed away after the older girl demands that she join the club once more, but this time with picturesque sun rays peeking through the clouds. Even the inflexible ferry schedule that would have prevented Hana from joining gets adjusted for the sake of her membership. The direction dramatizes some of the recitations with visual metaphors like train tracks and grasping vines, which is nice, but it’s not enough to elevate the rest of this episode.
Potential: 20%

From Bureaucrat to Villainess

Short Synopsis: A 52 year old salaryman is reincarnated as the villainess of an otome game.

Wooper: The most notable moment of Akuyaku Reijou Tensei Ojisan, at least for me, was one that made me feel totally out of step with modern anime. In a flashback to the main character’s life prior to his reincarnation, he spoke with his otaku daughter about ringlets being the preeminent hairstyle for shoujo antagonists. To prove his point, he mentioned Glass Mask, Aim for the Ace, and Candy Candy, to which his daughter replied, “Sorry, Dad. Those references are way too old for me to get.” I’ve never related more strongly to a half-century-old salaryman than I did to this one in that moment – thankfully, he spends most of this premiere failing upwards in one of his daughter’s otome games, rather than getting roasted for his old-ass taste in anime. The good social instincts he developed after three decades of office work allow him to effortlessly rehabilitate the image of the ringlet-haired villainess whose body he now inhabits, and he gets to enjoy the benefits of youth once more. There’s even a charming scene during an academic lecture where he celebrates his improved vision and page-turning abilities. I’m not an expert on this subgenre, but this is one of the better otome-themed premieres I’ve seen in nearly eight years of doing first impressions. It won’t make my winter watchlist (at this rate, almost nothing will), but it’s not bad at all.
Potential: 30%

I’m Getting Married to a Girl I Hate in My Class

Short Synopsis: Two highschoolers’ least favorite people (each other) are forced to marry by their newly reunited (not related) grandparents.

Lenlo: This is literally just a worse Nisekoi. The basic plot is the same, boy/girl who can’t stand each other are forced into a marriage by their elders and now have to interact regularly, but it lacks a lot of the charm that Nisekoi had. The designs aren’t as memorable, the visuals not as nice, the comedy is more in your face, etc etc. I suppose if you enjoyed Nisekoi you might get something out of this, but I’d be more likely to recommend you just rewatch that than waste your time on this. Sadly I’m too sick to pontificate more, so you’ll have to go off this and Amun’s writeup.
Potential: 1%

Amun: I sometimes feel like I’m the only author here who sees the good in some of these bargain bin shows. Yes, Lenlo is 100% correct that this is worse than Nisekoi…but is it so much worse that it’s worth throwing out entirely? Maybe not. Now of course there are some decent sized plot holes and character issues (main girl, grandpa, especially). Our leads are wooden as boards, the situation is more contrived than a bad excuse, and why are the grandparents always sitting in a convertible by the beach? BUT. I have a bit of a soft spot for shows like this (hearkens back to the seasons of Nisekoi and SNAFU clones), so I’m hoping it develops a bit more. I mean, it’ll probably all crash and burn, but at least I’m looking at the bright side, right?
Potential: 30%

Okitsura

Short Synopsis: A boy who transfers to Okinawa Prefecture develops a crush on a girl who speaks in Uchinaaguchi (traditional Okiwanan language).

Mario: As a slice-of-life resident, I can say that I had a good time with this episode and am looking forward to more. The selling point here is, of course, Okinawa’s dialect and their own unique culture, which I believe would work much better for the native Japanese audience to listen to than us who have to read the subtitles. That’s not to say we can’t enjoy and relate to much of the town’s oddballness. The leads, however, are not exactly vibrant as the top-tier slice-of-life shows such as Skip & Loafer or K-On, and I found many jokes laid their message on a bit thick (the whole town’s response to his name-calling, for instance), but as one who is curious about other cultures, especially the minority, this show scratches that itch and then some.
Potential: 40%

Kono Kaisha ni Suki na Hito ga Imasu

Short Synopsis: Two employees at the world’s most generic office must keep their relationship hidden from their coworkers.

Wooper: I used to keep my eyes peeled for adult romances each season, but the subgenre has really fallen off in recent years, especially if Kono Kaisha is anything to go by. The visuals here are so dull that I’m not sure how best to describe them – perhaps the mandate given to the art director was, “Make sure not a single background contains a single element that an ordinary salaryman wouldn’t immediately recognize from his own life.” The show’s central couple perform non-specific tasks at a non-specific company with non-specific office decor, and after they finally clock out, they enjoy a secret relationship ripped straight from the plot of at least a dozen J-dramas. The girl gets flustered about something, the guy thinks to himself that she’s cute, the conversation circles back around to how important it is not to reveal that they’re together. Introduce an attractive cast member to temporarily induce jealousy in one of the lead characters, then reaffirm the main couple’s commitment to each other. Rinse and repeat for twelve episodes, and pray that your less-than-mediocre romcom convinced at least a couple single folks to get out there and start secretly dating a coworker of their own.
Potential: 0%

Salaryman Isekai

Short Synopsis: Underappreciated overseas manager is head hunted by a Demon Lord with a surprisingly keen eye for subordinates.

Amun: First show of the new season for me (we’re not watching that weird ecchi cat thing) – and honestly, as far as first shows of the year go, Salaryman was quite decent. I thought we’d have a cringey episode of misunderstanding the “overseas” title as master of water – instead, we have a very reasonable Demon Lord boss who has done his research and very much wants this salaryman in particular. It’s clear this is a case of the outsider acting as the bridge between factions – just with a supernatural setting and some cute girls. And you know what – it plays for me! The animation and character designs aren’t anything to write home about, but this is where the modern isekai shines: juxtaposing a modern society straight-man with fantasy settings and hot girls. Definitely worth a few more episodes out of me.
Potential: 65%

Mario: Well, you read the positive review above from an isekai enthusiast, but what about us generic anime watchers? Personally I feel this premiere is quite tame. It’s not funny, nor does it offer anything groundbreaking within this subgenre. The idea that the Demon Lord is a much kinder boss than you might have at a real life company, and that he knows about workers’ rights and benefits, is a neat concept, but the way our main character proves his worth in this “otherworldly entrance exam” is a bit too simplified for its own good. The main message of this trial is to understand different cultures’ behaviors (in this case, a Minotaur), but we don’t really get the process of him working it out; rather, we see the results and his method instead. If you think about it, there was no instance whatsoever where he and the Minotaur interacted with each other. Moreover, what’s the deal with the strange udon stand where he comes to sit down in the middle of the episode? Isn’t he supposed to be in hell?
Potential: 10%

Momentary Lily

Short Synopsis: Six stringy-haired girls exchange quips and battle machine-alien hybrids in an abandoned city.

Lenlo: Oh GoHands, what are we going to do with you. At this point I’m less interested in their anime, every single one is a visual mess of after effects and nonsensical camera angles, than I am in how this studio keeps getting funding to make more stuff. Seriously, who looks at this studio’s previous works and thinks “The next one will be a banger”. As Wooper says below, there really isn’t much narrative or anything going on. It’s more about watching a bunch of “cute”, and I use quotes there because GoHands couldn’t create a cute design to save their lives, fight giant monsters with a lot of “cute” mannerisms and turns of phrase. Is it good? No. It’s GoHands. Is it well animated, fun to look at, or in any way appealing? No, it’s GoHands. Should you watch this? I’m sure you know the answer to that by now.
Potential: GoHands

Wooper: Whenever a new GoHands anime comes out, I keep my fingers crossed that it’s an original rather than an adaptation, because no mangaka deserves to have their work squeezed through the anus that is this studio’s animation pipeline. Thankfully, Momentary Lily is based on nothing but the wildest fantasies of hair fetishists and first-time Adobe After Effects users. The half dozen female characters in this show are the only human beings that appear for the entire premiere, and all six of them have laboriously drawn hairdos, with hundreds of independently-minded strands, some of which seem poised to decapitate their wearers. The girls have two modes: sitting around their photorealistic ghost town and acting out their designated tropes, and fighting glowing blue monsters while elaborate effects animation sparks and swirls around the screen. Both modes are drenched in sunbeams, lens flares, and rainbow arcs, and feature wide angle shots galore. I found the visual presentation so distracting that I couldn’t pick up on the plot, though the fact that these six characters have only themselves to talk to makes it pretty clear that Momentary Lily will be light on story and heavy on kawaii mannerisms. Ultimately, written impressions of GoHands anime aren’t much use – you just have to subject yourself to their visual style and see whether it’s for you.
Potential: 🌈%

Sorairo Utility

Short Synopsis: A gacha game addict in pursuit of a new hobby is introduced to the world of golf.

Wooper: What’s with all the golf anime recently? Even if you write off 2022’s Birdie Wing, Ooi Tonbo and Rising Impact aired just last year. What’s more, all three of those shows got second seasons, meaning there’s a definite push to have the sport represented in animation. I’m not sure Sorairo Utility will make it 4-for-4 on sequels, though, since its first episode was rather underwhelming. The opening scene did get a chuckle out of me, essentially telling the protagonist to get off her gacha-rolling ass and get a real hobby, and her repeated failures to find a high school club that she liked were amusing enough. But when it came time for the show to sell itself as a golf anime, I’m sorry to say that it bogeyed. Most instances of the protagonist’s cluelessness made her seem dopey rather than eager, the background art was either too plain (the two-tiered driving range) or too bright (the outdoor course), and we’re already whiffing on depicting the golf swings of background characters. The last of those issues means we’re probably in for more severe animation hiccups down the line, so investing in this show might not be the best line of play if you value on-model drawings. I did like the character designs, though.
Potential: 10%

Lenlo: I agree with most everything Wooper said above. The opening few scenes as the protagonist is cut-off from her gacha addiction cold turkey and forced into an actual hobby were pretty good, both in her interactions with her fellow classmates and her own reactions to it all. Sadly though, all of the actual golfing, what the show is being built around, weren’t very good. I never bought into the MC actually enjoying golf, or her reasons for picking it over any other sport. Simply put, as a sports anime I feel like it’s failing at everything that is important for a sports anime.
Potential: 5%

Bogus Skill “Fruitmaster”

Short Synopsis: A supernaturally skilled gardener discovers he can eat more than one Devil Fruit without perishing.

Wooper: 2025 kicks off with a benignly terrible fantasy premiere that cribs from One Piece, of all things. In the world of Fruitmaster, everyone is granted a free JRPG skill upon reaching the indeterminate age of an average anime protagonist. You acquire the skill by eating what is essentially a Devil Fruit, so you can’t eat a second one or else you die – unless you’re the main character, in which case you can have as many as you want. Since he has this ability, the role of “Appraisal Skill User” (for there must always be an appraisal skill user) is foisted onto his companion, who mutters that she must “make herself useful to him” by scouting everyone else’s solitary powers. Thus the stage is set for our hero to become the most powerful adventurer in the universe, prove his strength to his childhood friend, and participate in all manner of barely-animated battle scenes. Fruitmaster is dull on nearly every level, but its most baffling failure lies in the design of the protagonist’s sword; the second skill he acquires is titled “Sword God,” but it might as well have been “MS Paint God” based on the unadorned look of the thing. I hope the next fruit he eats will grant him the blacksmith skill, for the audience’s sake.
Potential: 0%

Lenlo: Why are we even bothering with this whole “Fruitmaster” thing? It didn’t take 5 minutes for the show to toss its entire premise out the window and gift the MC an OP skill like “Sword God”. Why? Just give him the ability from the start if you’re not even going to try and turn his “bad” ability into a great one. Fruitmaster feels lazy on basically every level, with even the designs and animation feeling phoned in while the studio pockets anything left over. Suffice to say, this is one of the easiest skips I’ve seen in a long time.
Potential: 0%

Ameku M.D: Doctor Detective

Short Synopsis: A doctor/detective and her henchman investigate a strange murder involving blue blood and dinosaurs.

Lenlo: Have you ever seen House? No? Well neither have I, but this is what I would imagine an anime version of it would look like. An eccentric loli doctor capable of diagnosing patients in an instant while simultaneously lambasting the patients for getting themselves in this state to begin with. As such, your enjoyment of this show is really going to come down to how much you like watching Sherlock Holmes-style hyper-intelligent characters solve convoluted problems from the most basic of observations. There’s some relationship drama as the doctors are split between their work and private lives, which has the potential to be interesting, as well as this “Blue blood” murder case thing. For the most part though, you’re looking at a pretty normal medical drama show that wouldn’t be out of place on regular live action television. Sadly for Ameku though, I’m not really into that. Maybe you’ll have better luck than me.
Potential: 20%

Mario: There are a few aspects of the first episode that I really enjoyed. First, I appreciate that the show doesn’t shy away from the medical technobabble, even though the focus shifts toward case-solving as the episode progresses. It helps ground the story in a sense of realism. The case itself is intriguing—strange, yet I get the feeling it leans more toward the logical than the supernatural, which remains interesting to see how it unfolds. However, this comes with a trade-off: the main characters, particularly the “genius” girl, display a strong curiosity but a limited emotional range. For instance, after a patient is declared deceased, her first reaction is to grin and remark, “How curious.” I suspect that, like many shows of this nature, the appeal will lie less in character development and more in the ongoing mystery—though whether that will be enough to sustain interest in the long run remains to be seen.
Potential: 20%

Possibly the Greatest Alchemist
of All Time

Short Synopsis: A former salaryman is granted an amazing alchemical skill by a goddess after being accidentally summoned to another world.

Lenlo: Maybe I’m being too generous with this score, but literally anything would look good after Fruitmaster. It’s not that Alchemist is terrible, while it doesn’t do anything particularly noteworthy I would call it competent in most things. The focus on crafting and day to day living in a fantasy world is done better in shows like Log Horizon, while the fantasy community is handled better in Reincarnated as a Slime, sure. I also wish it would go into more detail on the fantasy aspect of the crafting and such, as the combat is pretty weak. Still, Alchemist does all of those well enough that they don’t drag it down. The MC isn’t annoying, being a mild-mannered salaryman, and while it doesn’t look great, the designs aren’t terrible and it moves well enough. All in all, Alchemist feels like a standard run of the mill Isekai that is inoffensive and does everything just well enough that you might be able to get some fun from it. Saying that though, maybe that is enough to stand out in the modern isekai landscape.
Potential: 10%

A Terrified Teacher at Ghoul School

Short Synopsis: A pathetic failure becomes the new teacher of a school for Spirits.

Mario: While I believe Youkai Gakkou can build on this concept to get to know more about each type of youkai as they open up to this new human teacher, there are many strikes against it that I don’t really see it can raise above the water. The most glaring one is the teacher himself who is just plain and uninteresting as a lead. When you introduce someone with a story of how they become shut-in after one bad first day teaching at school, while making light of that fact, you’ve done your character a big disservice. It doesn’t get much better from there since he curls up like a ball when he realizes he’s teaching a class full of youkai. The first case he gets here, about a misfortuned youkai that becomes a shut-in, is also not its best sadly. We soon learn the reasons for her not going to school is not because of any stress, bullying or social anxiety that she experiences (which in turns could be something common the teacher and she share), instead it’s just because… she plays too many games. I guess maybe like Natsume’s Book of Friends, we get an episodic chapter about these youkai, and some of them might be touching – but in a season where the actual Natsume is airing, I don’t see any reason in following this one over the much better show.
Potential: 5%

Lenlo: How do I put this… Youkai Gakkou seems to depend entirely on how much you enjoy pathetic humor. Is it funny watching a cowardly incompetent teacher be picked on/looked down on by his students? If so, you’ll probably have a decent time with it. For me though, the comedy fell short. And seeing as how the comedy is basically all this first episode has going for it, that’s not good. I imagine Youkai Gakkou has plans for more, it probably wants to do something uplifting where the teacher makes the Youkai feel normal or something while they help him become more confident. If that’s the case though, it really should have led with that and let the comedy come in later. Suffice to say, as exhausted as I am of premieres this late into the opening of the season, I’m not feeling any interest here.
Potential: 5%

Thunderbolt Fantasy S4

Short Synopsis: Season 4 of Thunderbolt Fantasy, AKA Urobuchi’s Taiwanese Puppet Show.

Lenlo: So I’m gonna be honest, I’ve never really known what is actually happening in Thunderbolt Fantasy. There’s some epic plot about swords, demon lords, spirits and shit, I honestly couldn’t tell you. As such, I can’t really talk about the story or character arcs or anything like that, because none of those are why I watch the show. No, I watch it for one thing and one thing only: Puppets. There’s nothing else quite like them in anime I feel. The exaggerated way they move, the detail in their design and fights, and the fights! Oh the fights. There’s something so fun about watching puppets fly across the screen, kicking up sand and dust with mystical powers, as they duke it out in classic wire-work martial arts film style. Can I recommend this to everyone? No, not at all. The story is nonsensical and honestly probably not very good if I’ve ignored it for 4 seasons. But if, like me, you have a strange fascination with magical puppet fights… You’ll be able to have a good time.
Potential: 50%

Mario: I’ve been following Thunderbolt Fantasy since its inception, and even more was blogging it when it first aired in 2016. Unique aesthetic – and a common question of ‘is it even anime?’ – aside, I am familiar with the wuxia convention well enough to get a real kick out of that. This show for me is Urobuchi at his most doesn’t-give-a-damn. There are larger-than-life characters, epic plots about human and devil realms and other nonsense, but they are entertaining and truly something to behold. This first episode of the supposed final season is purely set up as we track multiple groups of characters while introducing a pair of powerful underlings. So far, it’s actually our MC Shang Bu Huan who is the least interesting as he has second thoughts about his own mission. I’m sure he gets dragged along to the mess soon enough, and I’m all in for that.
Potential: 50%

Touhai: Ura Rate Mahjong Touhai Roku

Short Synopsis: Money, women, organs. Kei, a high school boy, frequents the underground mahjong parlor teeming with desires, earning him the moniker ‘K of Ice’ in the underworld due to his cold-hearted strategy and stylish gameplay. Rumors also circulate that he keeps a girl at his home.

Lenlo: Touhai suffers from the same issue as every Mahjong anime, the simply fact that no one in the west knows how to play this fucking game. And much like the Cute Girls Doing Cute Things Mahjong from a season or two ago, that really limits its reach because it doesn’t put any effort into teaching the audience how to play the game. That’s probably for the best with the Japanese market, but for me? That makes it impossible to get into. Even putting that aside though, Touhai also comes off as a poorly produced, inferior copy of Akagi, another Mahjong series but created by the Kaiji Ultimate Survivor author, someone who is far more capable of making Mahjong interesting. Combine those, the difficulty of getting into the game and the existence of multiple better criminal-based mahjong series, and I’m not really finding a compelling reason to watch this one. Maybe you’ll enjoy some of the over the top criminality, what with the sex slaves and all, but it sort of feels like shock value more than anything.
Potential: 0%

Demon Lord 2099

Short Synopsis: The Demon Lord is banished by the Hero, only for him to reawaken 500 years later into a whole new, much more technologically advanced world.

Lenlo: Demon Lord 2099 was… shockingly good. I was expecting a meme, but not, it’s legitimately good. From the world and characters it’s created to the story they are caught up in, 2099 genuinely feels like something new. The combination of magic and technology to create a future-fantasy dystopia ala Shadowrun, is fully realized here with beautiful backgrounds and an interesting mix of visual staples from the two genres. And the way power scaling is handled is great as well, working similar to Frieren where it’s not that the Demon Lord got weaker but that magic technology and technique advanced while he was banished. This idea that even common street thugs are able to kick a Demon Lords ass now, and that he can’t get the same implant they have, works well. Most of all, I like the villain! The dude’s just a corporate overlord ass-hate with an inferiority complex who spent the last 500 years prepping to replace his boss. I’ll admit, the show isn’t incredibly animated or anything, there’s no big fights. But I’m bought into this world, these characters, and this conflict way more than I expected to. I really hope 2099 manages to keep this up for the whole 12 episode run, because right now this is my big surprise of the season. Plus, it has Vtubers! Towa-Sama!
Potential: 70%

Amun: I’m a bit less enthusiastic here than Lenlo. I have to admit that I’ve seen quite a few of these “Post-Demon Lord” shows recently (the best of which is obviously, without question, Frieren). I’d say Demon Lord 2099 is a lot closer to Level 1 Demon Lord and One Room Hero with the character dynamics – maybe mixed in a bit with Our Last Crusade/Rise of a New World for the magic/tech mixture; neither of those shows is exactly making history. The villain and even our lead felt a bit flat – both leaning into the super evil persona’s a bit too hard there. Sure, I’m certain they’ll develop over the series, but I was just a bit turned off by how one-dimensional the confrontation was. I like the world well enough, and I think the “problem” to solve is plenty interesting (rebuilding a lost kingdom). I guess I’m a little hesitant in the lack of comedy or chemistry felt…anywhere. Still, I’m here for at least a few more on the strength of the premise alone.
Potential: 50%

The Healer Who Was Banished From His Party

Short Synopsis: A healer only capable of using basic heals is banished from his party. Little did they know, he was capable of more than anyone could expect.

Lenlo: This is a pretty classic “Misunderstood MC is actually OP” story. We don’t get any explanations just yet, more setting up our Female MC, why she’s here, her connection to the lead, and a small mystery about how dangerous he actually is. I’ll admit, the idea that he’s actively hiding his true class and skills is better than him just being OP despite only having basic spells. But unlike say… I Parry Everything which had much the same setup, this one is lacking a lot of the personality and character that made Parry so fun. The MC isn’t an asshole, which is nice, but he also doesn’t have much personality beyond just… not being an asshole. I could see this being fun if you just want a popcorn sort of show, but personally I’m not going to be keeping up with it.
Potential: 10%

Shangri-La Frontier S2

Short Synopsis: Season 2 of Shangri La Frontier.

Lenlo: Shangri-La Frontier picks up so close to where it left off, so nonchalantly, that it almost doesn’t even feel like we’re starting a new season. In some ways that’s nice, there’s no overly long recap, it doesn’t waste our time trying to bring us up to speed, we just jump right into things. As someone who knows where we are, that’s nice! I’m glad we’re not wasting any time here. That said, I could see it being a bit of a shock for those who don’t remember anything from the previous season. One nice surprise with the episode though had to be the production. It looked great, a number of well animated, dynamic, stylistic fights that I really wasn’t expecting. Season 1 started strong as well, sure, but with how uneventful the last few episodes of the previous season/this current arc is, I didn’t think it would get that much attention. Hopefully the series will keep this up as it moves into the more interesting arcs that it should, hopefully, reach with 25 episodes. All in all, while I’m not expecting the show to be too great this early, aside from shockingly good animation, I do have hope for two arcs that should be roughly as good, if not better, than Wezaemon we got in the first season. If it can do those arcs justice, with the same care Wezaemon got, then Season 2 should be just as good as the first.
Potential: 50%

Tsuma, Shougakusei ni Naru

Short Synopsis: A normal family’s matriarch is reincarnated as a grade schooler.

Amun: I signed up for this one simply because the premise is…unusual to say the least. Going in, I wondered if it would try to be a lighthearted comedy, making tons of jokes about the age gap or if it would be a really tearful, heartfelt “value the time you have” message beaten over our heads. Turns out, Tsuma, Shougakusei, plays it pretty straight. There isn’t a glossing over of how weird things are, or how unusual the dynamics appear to society (the family’s wife now being substantially younger than her own daughter). Moreso, the scenarios of the juggling of the two families (how do you explain your second family as a grade schooler?) and the different romantic dynamics of the more appropriate ages are explored in a pretty clear-eyed manner. In fact, the premise is pretty much the only weird thing about this show – everything else so far has been by the book. And I like that. I really don’t know how Tsuma Shougakusei will manage all of the storylines and complications, but I appreciate the uniqueness of how it’s trying so far. It’s definitely an odd one, but I’m willing to give it a chance.
Potential: 65%

Yakuza Fiancé

Short Synopsis: The granddaughter and grandson of rival yakuza families enter into an uneasy relationship.

Wooper: I knew this show was going to be twisted, but I didn’t expect its male lead to suggest that his prospective fiance become an escort, then list some of the sexual acts she’d be expected to perform in the role. Unless Yakuza Fiance led with its most scandalous material and is planning to turn it down going forward, it seems this show will be a far cry from your typical romance anime. Another thing that sets it apart is its female protagonist’s mission: to make this unhinged dude fall hopelessly in love with her, then dump him after a year, ostensibly so that her yakuza group can take revenge or gain leverage over her target’s family. I’m hopeful that the show will dive into the specifics of how these two groups have antagonized each other in the past, since the heads of both families were the most prominent supporting characters in this premiere. As a matter of fact, it was mostly just the two teenagers and the two grandpas delivering lines this time – the show is tightly focused on a core group of people at this point, eschewing visual diversity in favor of repeated close-ups to highlight the cast’s attractiveness. This results in a rather uninvolving episode, at least from a storyboarding perspective, but the characters’ spirited personalities do keep the half hour afloat. I’ll give this one another couple episodes to develop its personal and familial conflicts, then decide whether I want to continue with it.
Potential: 40%

Natsume’s Book of Friends S7

Short Synopsis: A highschooler seeks to return spirit’s names that his grandma beat out of them.

Amun: I can’t tell you how many times I refreshed Anichart, just to make sure it wasn’t all a dream – that Natsume’s Book of Friends was returning this season. Almost exactly seven years, we’ve been waiting for the supernatural hijinks to return. And this was honestly a good, standard, Natsume episode. We were reintroduced to some of our old friends (plus Natsume’s more recent human additions), but we still got a standard, self-contained story, like we get in so many of the previous six seasons. It doesn’t look like the overall production quality has diminished, and the story still felt complete with plenty of youkai feels – I’m happy as a clam. I would say that Natsume really shines when the story advances (with glacial speed), so I’m hoping for some small advancements of the overall story and maybe some deeper looks into Reiko’s past. Overall, it’s just so great to be back.
Potential: As long as they’re making it, I’m watching it.

Ranma ½

Short Synopsis: A teenage martial artist with the ability to change sexes moves into a dojo with three beautiful sisters.

Lenlo: I feel the need to preface this saying that I’ve never seen Ranma before. This is my first experience with the series. And I have to say, my initial reaction is… mixed? So much about it feels dated or played out, and that’s because it is, Ranma is an old show! But things like the marriage plot, the comedy, the designs, the way it handles fanservice, they aren’t very appealing in the modern day. At least not to me. Some of it works, the animation is fluid, leading to some great action, and the designs are expressive, leading to some great reactions. It’s just… The animation is really all it has going for it for me? I think if you enjoy these kinds of jokes, and want a throwback to the past, this could be a good time. But personally, I’d rather watch Orb, or Dandadan.
Potential: 25%

Mario: I did watch the early portion of the original 1989 version, and I certainly understand why it was popular back in the day. That being said, I’m not sure how well it appeals to the modern audience. The story beats, at least in this first episode, remain the same as the original. That means it also includes endless random slapstick, a “see a girl naked in the bath” situation, and many “dated” elements such as arranged marriage. On the other hand, the visuals get a big upgrade. It looks super nice with its colorful backgrounds, and I love the smooth sound effect text appearing on screen. The animation is slick as well, and so far the situations Ranma puts himself in are snappy enough to warrant more watches from me.
Potential: 30%

How I Attended an All-Guys Mixer

Short Synopsis: Three befuddled college guys hit the town with a trio of drag kings.

Lenlo: This seems… fine? The weirdest part is how it seems to be trying for both the fujoshi bait audience and the straight romance audience. It’s like the show is trying to frame these as gay relationships without having the wherewithal to actually commit to them. I’m sure many can overlook that, it’s just not an issue for most, but it was definitely noticeable. That aside though, it was kind of cute. Three pairings, rather than one boy with three options, meant each relationship had time to breathe as they traded focus between them. If you can get past the fujoshi-bait aspects of the show, I think you could have a decent time. Assuming it actually commits to the romances and such, that is.
Potential: 15%

Wooper: Despite being a comedy anime, All-Guys Mixer has only two jokes in its arsenal: “That woman is dressed as a man!” and “How could I, a heterosexual man, be attracted to a masculine-presenting woman?” (That’s really only one joke, but I’m feeling generous today.) Its three male protagonists show up to a group date and discover that their three female partners work at a drag bar, which causes some understandable confusion, but that confusion never dissipates, and probably never will for as long as the show drags on. That’s Japan’s strategy with this type of series, after all – viewers get to enjoy the aesthetic appeal of gay flirtation without the icky reality of same-sex attraction. All-Guys Mixer is already gutless for that reason, but its presentation is soulless on top of that. During the karaoke scene, the show cuts straight from characters preparing to sing to shots of them just having finished, with the screen behind them judging their voices to be incredible, despite us not hearing a single note. There’s a crane game scene where a prize slides out of the machine’s chute with no regard for geometry or perspective, which would be hilarious if it weren’t such a perfect encapsulation of Japan’s animator training crisis. The only positive I could find here were the seiyuu – their performances weren’t great by any means, but the actors seemed to be having fun, so the show earns a few points for that.
Potential: 5%

Puniru wa Kawaii Slime

Short Synopsis: A magical slime girl constantly annoys the teenager who created her when he was a little boy.

Wooper: Full disclosure: I only got halfway through this premiere before turning it off, so if you’re a Puniru stan, feel free to dismiss my opinion as that of an uninformed philistine. Why did I bail so early, others may ask? For starters, there’s the hallway scene at protagonist Kotaro’s middle school, where the titular slime girl harasses him for several minutes without another soul showing their face (this school must be incredible if its doors are soundproofed against that level of squeaky-voiced commotion). Puniru’s boisterous personality is strongly reminiscent of the younger sister from Himouto! Umaru-chan, which is already a red flag, but her ability to transform into a big-breasted teenager (which she does twice in the episode’s first 12 minutes) makes her even harder to tolerate, if that’s possible. Tropes like a kawaii character making duck lips and touching their index fingers together, or the male protagonist’s classmates getting pissed at their “friend” for having a close female acquaintance, are exhausting when laid on top of the show’s already manic tone. The soundtrack does a good job of matching that atmosphere, with its high-pitched synths, record scratches and bubble-popping effects, but since it’s part of a show with nothing to say, there’s no way I’d ever finish this episode (much less the whole series) just to experience more of it.
Potential: 0%