Fall 2020 First Impressions: Yuukoku no Moriarty, Kami-tachi ni Hirowareta Otoko, Maou-jou de Oyasumi

Yuukoku no Moriarty

Short Synopsis: A handsome blond Moriarty works as a revenge coordinator in Victorian London alongside his slightly less handsome friends.

Wooper’s review:

What is this, the third Sherlock Holmes-adjacent anime in as many years? I wonder what’s motivating the Victorian detective boom in Japan. Whatever it is, Yuukoku no Moriarty is the latest cash-in on the trend, and its combination of straightforward crime fiction and Gothicism likely hits the right notes for a lot of viewers. Production I.G works often do, but I tend to find them stuffy unless there’s a strong character designer on board to prevent the ‘designed by committee’ look. Moriarty has precisely that problem, so it leans on shiny hair and eyes that change colors in various levels of darkness instead. It also goes all-in on the edge, most memorably in a cut matching the smile of a child-hunting criminal to the teeth of a Satanic statue nearby. I found all of this too much to swallow, especially since Moriarty doesn’t ground itself in a sense of who its main character is (apart from Super Genius). It’s procedural from the get-go, and while there’s nothing inherently wrong with that, I don’t feel like following a focus-grouped version of this character through a historical setting that substitutes authenticity for DARKNESS.

Potential: 30%

Mario’s review:

This premiere executes a quite solid crime scene that also serves as a convincing introduction to our main character, Moriaty, and his moral ambiguity. He’s more of an anti hero in this case, allowing murders to happen if they’re justified. And what’s more justified than executing a rich pedo bastard who kills teenage boys for sport? Yep, subtlety might not be the show’s strongest card, but the way Moriarty investigates proves credibility. His deduction (so far) doesn’t feel like a stretch and the mystery remains strong throughout the episode. Moriaty the show has its potential just like its main character, who’s more keen to dig further to the darker part of human desire (this time: hatred), but I will reserve my judgment until the other key character – Sherlock Holmes – makes an entrance. Really, I am interested to see what version of Sherlock they are going for as a perfect foil for this Moriaty.

Potential: 50% 

Kami-tachi ni Hirowareta Otoko

Short Synopsis: A muscular working man dies in his sleep and reincarnates as a 11-year-old slime-tamer boy.

Mario’s review:

With the rise of the isekai subgenre, we are bound to have something like this pop up three times every season. Kami-tachi’s premise goes along the same line with shows like Seventh Son and Ascendance of a Bookworm in how the MC is transported to another world in kid form with the memory and maturity (?) of an adult, hence they already have an advantage in their fantasy world. Kami-tachi adds very little to this formula, resulting in an okay but boring watch all along the way. First, the MC is absolutely boring. The way he embraces the cliche that he will be reborn in another world is grating. Second, the show’s comedy is misfire. The reason for his death should be hilarious if they play it right, but here it just feels off and awkward. The production is so-so and the story is nothing to write home about. This is strictly for isekai junkies only. 

Potential: MEH

Amun’s review:

Ah, Mario is being mean to isekai stans again!  Okay, but he does have some points.  This is generic any way you cut it – even the slimes look second rate (like, how hard is it to draw an interesting slime?  Takes literally any effort).  I didn’t think it looked that bad, but I agree it’s not likely to break any new ground.  Honestly, this episode was so generic that I’m having a hard time finding things to write about – I like pre-death MC’s haircut?  The deities were kind of funny?  This is very similar to last year’s Wiseman’s Grandchild – decent, mindless entertainment.  Actually, scratch that – it’ll probably be more like a slightly romantic, slime farm simulator.  I’ll probably end up watching all of it.

Potential: 50% – or if that haircut comes back

Maou-jou de Oyasumi

Short Synopsis: A narcoleptic princess abuses a band of innocent monsters in her quest for a good night’s sleep.

Amun’s review:

Your opinion of this show will hinge on if you liked Mairimashita! Iruma-kun – I certainly did.  We have similar art style, a kidnapping by a less than harmful demon, new amusing demonic setting to explore, and a particular quest (prevent human identity exposure and get a good night’s sleep).  I thought the gag humour was hit and miss – although I love how Maou-jou isn’t afraid to go dark (slicing up the sentient sheet sent a small shiver).  The big downsides are the bland hero and the bland demon king – Syalis was a pretty good story vehicle, albeit one dimensional.  Introducing the resurrection mechanic gave the plot an automatic escape hatch – but it also destroys any dramatic tension from the non-OSHA friendly demon king dungeon.  Basically, don’t expect too much depth of characters, art, animation, story…really anything of this show.  Just think of it as a peaceful prelude to a good night’s rest.

Potential: 65%

Wooper’s review:

The gag here is that a perpetually drowsy princess has her run of a demon’s castle, and she spends her time crafting sleeping accessories for herself. If that idea tickles your fancy, you’ll like this show, as it’s a very good version of that premise. If you think it sounds stupid, this premiere won’t do much to change your mind. Assuming you don’t hate fun, you might appreciate the wordplay in the princess’ name (Syalis), or the framing of her minor adventures as “quests” (and the joyous theme that plays whenever she clears one). A particularly cute detail was the mid-episode disappearance of her golden crown, which she traded for some scissors in order to make a soft headband for herself. Soft things are more conducive to sleep, after all! The storybook art style and variety in the creature designs both contribute to the fun of the show, too, as Syalis wanders appealing halls and abuses non-threatening monsters in her quest to design the ultimate snoozing experience. I don’t know if I’ll watch another episode of this, as the comedy’s expiration date is probably two or three weeks from now, but I sure enjoyed what I saw in the first one.

Potential: 50%