Fall 2020 First Impressions: Adachi to Shimamura, Kamisama ni Natta Hi, Taiso Samurai

Adachi to Shimamura

Short Synopsis: The two titular high school girls skip classes and spend their time together.

Mario’s review:

Well, I didn’t really expect a slow-burn premiere for this kind of story, and I am glad it takes that route. Unlike many anime features in high school settings, the most distinctive characteristic about Adachi to Shimamura is that (at least in this first episode) it doesn’t take place in the classroom, and it features a relatively minimal cast. It’s a compliment by all means, as it reinforces the strengths of this premiere: they trade bombastic, big action for subtle and soft approach. There’s this atmospheric little space where the two main characters spend time together that becomes a character in itself. There’s this moody and uncertain narration, as well as narrative, that is appropriate for their growing relationship. It has some issues, however: the side characters aren’t that fleshed out, the boob-groping joke is especially tiresome, and the weird cuts of a kid in a spacesuit feel really removed from the rest of the episode. The soft art-style is a delight though, and if it keeps its intimate and slow-burn approach, I will be there for the long run.

Potential: 70%

Armitage’s review:

I’ll get straight to the point. I didn’t like the “comedic” boob-grab (though the show did address it as sexual harassment for a change) and I didn’t like the frequency with which the camera lingers on the girls’ thighs. Barring those, I absolutely loved everything else. We’ve got the perfect Fall show here. This is Shoujo-Ai, through and through – tinged with melancholy, bittersweet, yet comforting. If I were to bottle up its pathos then I’d say watching this show is like that feeling you get on the walk home in the evening after a long day, when your mind drifts off and lets in memories of the what-could-have-been’s in your life. Adashima is not trying to be another Bloom into You and it’s all the better for it. This is subtle, minimalist storytelling with a heavy focus on seemingly small character moments, portraying the loneliness of growing-up and being unable to fit in. Of being a creature of habit, one you want to shake. And of being alone with people you call your friends, forever searching for the one who makes you feel at home. I absolutely loved its handling of the two central characters and the duality their perspectives provide to the narrative. To top it off, we have some really refreshing cinematography and a lovely sombre color palette. Yeah, like I said, I adored this premiere and will be blogging the show from next week.

Potential: 90%

Kamisama ni Natta Hi

Short Synopsis: A high school student gets a sudden visit from God, who appears in the form of a young girl and tells him the world will end in one month.

Alternate Synopsis: Odin-chan Wants to Hang Out!

Armitage’s review:

Here’s the deal with every Jun Maeda show. You either hate them (pfft, sucker!) or you love them (pfft, sucker!). As someone who falls into the latter category and for whom this was probably the most anticipated Fall release, this premiere was the most fun 24 minutes of the season. And, no! I am not saying this as a Maeda fan. Well… I mean, I am, but that’s not the only reason I am saying this. Kamisama ni Natta Hi honestly just had an absolute riot for a start. It’s a lot harder to do slapstick anime comedy right than one would imagine and when the comedy isn’t even the main draw of your series, it’s a whole lot easier to mess it up. But the almost non-stop gags, brilliant chemistry between the leads and clever cinematography(!) elevated the already funny screenplay and made it consistently enjoyable. But of course, this is a Maeda show, so red herrings for future heartbreaks are also sprinkled throughout the episode with hints at how Sato-chan’s powers are a sort of Pandora’s box and humanity simply doesn’t know how to handle one of those. All in all, this was an excellent start and I can’t wait for more of the funny banter while also knowing full well that by the end, this show is going to break my heart into pieces before proceeding to stomp on every one of them and of course, I will love it for that.

Potential: 95%

Wooper’s review:

As far as “God appears to the protagonist” setups go, this one was pretty darn good. I’m not ready to eat my words about all Jun Maeda works being cloying trope-fests just yet – nor do I anticipate needing to, since “the world will end in 30 days” is a premise ripe with tragic potential (whether or not it actually happens). If you put aside the man’s past work, though, there’s plenty to enjoy about Kamisama ni Natta Hi. It uses tilted camera angles and varying degrees of natural light to add visual interest to its scenes. It gradually breaks down the MC’s skepticism towards the goddess’ precognitive abilities, instead of relying on a single eureka moment. Most importantly, it’s funny, which means it’s fun to watch. The disastrous outcome of the protag’s romantic confession was a hoot, and the preceding ‘predict the pitches’ scene functioned as both a clever gag and a warning about the accuracy of the goddess’ foresight. The extended dialogue between the leads may have tested my patience in a couple spots (particularly when it was capped with one of her mini-tantrums), but the script was enjoyably snappy on the whole. This may be the show to turn Maeda haters into Maeda tolerators, so it bears a lot of responsibility this season.

Potential: 70%

Taiso Samurai

Short Synopsis: A former gymnast suffers repeated distractions while trying to tell his daughter about his impending retirement.

Lenlo’s review:

This was… it was definitely a thing. Not the thing I expected, nor the thing I wanted, but definitely a thing. I’ll be honest, Taiso Samurai kinda looks like shit. It’s trying to ride this line between comedic, light hearted absurdity with things like the ninja theming or the big fantasy bird, and a more emotional/serious story of fatherhood and careers. But it rides that line so poorly that neither of these work. It’s not as serious as any number of sports anime, nor is it as stupid and fun as something like Hypnosis Mic. It’s just kinda… there. Oh and the visuals just look like shit. I’m still going to stick with it for a bit, because gymnastics is an interesting sport. But I am expecting nothing out of it.

Potential: 10%

Wooper’s review:

Taiso Samurai is delightfully weird. Our main character Jotaro Aragaki is an airheaded gymnast who has managed to miss his coach’s blatant hints about retirement for years. He owns a gigantic blue toucan (?) that loves eating corn on the cob almost as much as it loves producing alarming reaction faces. He takes his daughter to a ninja-themed fair and somehow returns home with a foreign stalker in tow, who then moves into his house because his mom said it was okay. These are the sorts of curiosities that the show is built on, rather than a particular sport or genre blueprint. It’s sort of grounded in the relationship between Jotaro and his daughter – both of whom are adrift in the wake of Mrs. Aragaki’s passing – but mostly it’s unfettered by conventional plot or character beats. It reminds me of Samurai Flamenco (once it had moved beyond that episode), another series where literally anything could become part of its narrative fabric after the shortest of explanations. Will the stalker (turned tenant) become Jotaro’s pupil, or will they be athletic rivals? Who were those suits chasing him at the ninja fair? Will Big Bird survive the whole series without choking to death on an ear of corn? The only way to know for sure is to keep tuning in each week!

Potential: 65%