Fall 2024 Impressions: Ranma ½, How I Attended an All-Guys Mixer, Puniru wa Kawaii Slime

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%