Summer 2022 Impressions: Lycoris Recoil, Teppen!!!!!!!!!!, Ongakutai Witches

by Lenlo, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Lycoris Recoil

Short Synopsis: Secret Government agency recruits orphan girls to provide public security – wait a second, I’ve seen this somewhere before…

Amun: Alright, alright. Let me get my complaints out of the way first. Yes, this looks like a poor man’s Gunslinger Girl with a smaller cast. Now that I think about it…that’s actually a compliment. There was a lot of good in this episode – I think the main duo has good chemistry, the world is pretty interesting, and the action looks good (not great, but good). I also like the twin views of “kill everyone” vs. “win with no casualties” – there’s an additional level of levity that comes from not having a massive body count. I’m also a fan of “the greater good” vs. “help the individual” – GSG had that domestic angle apply to the girls themselves, but it looks like Lycoris Recoil will use bystanders and side characters. I’d also like to point out that someone in the production committee does know their firearms (but a 700’ handgun shot at a drone at night has like 0% chance of working – though props for telling her to remove the silencer). Undoubtedly, the conflict will get larger with higher stakes, but for now Lycoris Recoil is just some goofy assassins in maid costumes. I feel pretty good about this.
Potential: 75%

Mario: The pre-credit sequence of Lycoris Recoil is probably my favorite pre-credit scene in recent years. As we listen to the sweet narration, what happens on-screen is so far-removed from what we hear that it immediately establishes the tone and themes of the series. The rest of the episode doesn’t rise above that moment, but there’s still tons of highlights. As a recipient for CGDCT shows, I am happy to report that so far Lycoris Recoil more than satisfies me, and then some. The characters are a delight so far, as they bounce off each other well, and the duo’s different approaches to their jobs open up plenty of room to grow. The world it’s built so far is equally fascinating as well. The secret agency they are working so far is neither painted as good or bad, and there’s some implications that we learn more about its deep-rooted secrets in later episodes. The image of the falling tower – and its now-symbolic icon – lures in the background but obviously will play a much bigger role in the future. And although the show has more than enough hints that it will go much darker in the future, so far I am also on board with these girls just… taking low time, running a cafe and delivering happiness to their neighborhood. A pretty confident start for Lycoris Recoil.
Potential: 70%

Teppen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Short Synopsis: Five manzai comedy trios live in a free dormitory on the condition that they give favorable performances.

Lenlo: If I’m being honest, my biggest issue with Teppen isn’t its standard production, questionable comedy or stereotyped cast, but rather with just how many cast members it has. In the span of 12 minutes we got introduced to 15 girls, plus one macho manager. This is a one-cour show right? Are we expected to know, or care, about any of these girls? I don’t think so. And that just tells me right from the start what kind of show Teppen is going to be: Comedy idols. Now on the up side, that’s not terrible. I’ll take that over CGI song and dance any day. And the comedy wasn’t the worst. The Manzai style, fast talking, play-by-play, misunderstandings etc, is infinitely more entertaining than the regular anime slapstick bullshit. I actually chuckled a few times throughout the episode! But without any substance behind the comedy, any care in the characters, I just don’t think this will be for me. If you want some fun popcorn with 15 different characters from which to pick your favorite though, this might be up your alley.
Potential: 15%

Wooper: As an American ignoramus, one of my “issues” with Japanese comedy is that it often treats its punchlines as secondary to the reactions they elicit. This pattern is perhaps best exemplified by the manzai genre, so an anime revolving around that style of comedy will have a hard time winning me over, but Teppen did a decent job of it here. The show is structured a bit like Hypnosis Mic from a couple years back, featuring multiple character trios but putting most of its focus on just one of them each week. That trio begins each episode with a stage performance which gives way to flashbacks and side stories, and at the end we cut back to the girls on stage, implying that everything we’ve just seen has been part of their manzai routine. I can’t think of a better format for this subject matter, so the show earns props for that, plus some bonus points for the “if you bomb on stage, you’re out of the competition” conceit. I doubt we’re meant to take this consequence seriously, but the illusion of stakes is all a show like this really needs. As for the jokes in the premiere itself, I sort of liked the bit about the girls scrambling to fix their dorm supervisor’s beheaded bodybuilding trophy, and the implication that one of the residents is an alien was amusing (it’ll almost certainly become a long-running gag). I’m a little concerned about Teppen’s animation going forward, as the scenes from the next episode preview looked outsourced, but if you’re a fan of cute girls doing comedic things, don’t let that stop you from giving the show a look.
Potential: 20%

Ongakutai Witches

Short Synopsis: Soldiers protect the country, teenage girls with propeller legs and microphones protect their smiles, the true battlefield of World War 2.

Mario: I went into this completely blind so I wasn’t expecting the Strike Witches connection – a franchise about cute girls fighting in army uniforms with jet packs attached to their feet. But for my money knowing that it’s a Strike Witches spin-off actually makes this episode better given how it spins away from the battle and focuses on music and the girls who aren’t so good at fighting. The problem with Ongakutai Witches is that I don’t really care much about any of these girls at this point. They are your usual stock characters with one significant trait (and the fact that the show introduces them with these only traits). And the second reason why I won’t go back for this is entirely not its issue – it’s airing right after another “Magical girls singing to heal others” show in Healer Girl, which I found more original in every way. For fans of Strike Witches and idol shows, this show does about enough to satisfy both, but others might approach it with caution.
Potential: 20%

Lenlo: Alright so let me get this straight: Ongakutai Witches is about… World War 2 era teenage witch idols with propellers on their legs… What? Anime is weird man. And not the good kind of weird, like Jojo or Tatami Galaxy. More the kind where I am wondering what the point of the show is. It’s clearly not trying to be an actual war drama, these are pre-teen singing idol child soldiers who will save the world with the power of music. Nor is it to be an actual idol show, since there’s no actual like… band or show here. Its just going to be girls singing over battlefields to “protect their smiles” or whatever. Maybe you can find something wholesome and cute if you squint really hard? But personally, there’s no reason to watch this show. If you want an Idol show then you have your pick of the litter this season, especially with stuff like Love Live getting a second season. And if you want a war drama well… Go watch something other than anime I guess.
Potential: 0%

Summer 2022 Impressions: Kami Kuzu Idol, Engage Kiss, Shoot! Goal to the Future

by Lenlo, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Kami Kuzu Idol

Short Synopsis: A money-grubbing idol allows himself to be possessed by the spirit of a former starlet.

Wooper: Fifteen seconds into the summer 2022 season and I was already bracing for the worst, as Kami Kuzu’s narrator spoke about idols shining on stage and bringing joy to their fans. Turns out it’s not as bad as all that, since there’s a humorous angle to the show – main character Niyodo hates his occupation and is only able to avoid being fired by giving control of his body to the ghost of a former idol. The ensuing CG musical number was inoffensive enough, and the promise of spirit possession-related hijinks isn’t a bad comedic hook, but I do wonder how many episodes this premise is truly worth. You’ve got to assume that the lazy protagonist will slowly be won over by the enthusiasm of his ghostly benefactor, and that in the end, he’ll drink the idol Kool-Aid to create the illusion of a completed character arc. Will the series be able to justify nearly a dozen more episodes before that point? Probably not, but there is one thing about it that gives me hope: the trio of fangirls who obsess over Niyodo both before and after his supernatural personality change. The post-credits scene of them chatting about their favorite entertainer reminded me of Oshi ga Budokan, a fandom-oriented idol show that pleasantly surprised me a couple years back. Kami Kuzu isn’t on its level, visually speaking, but it shares a little bit of its DNA – maybe it’ll muster a handful of decent episodes before its inevitable compromise.
Potential: 20%

Mario: “This is not a mere idol show, it’s a romance show with an idol setting” was initially my thought until it goes full-blown with the musical performance and ends the episode with the comedy bit about 3 fangirls fangirling about his sudden personality change. The very fact that it mixes with other genres make this show fresh and charming at places. Add to that, we have the main character Niyodo who is unlike any idol protagonist we’ve seen before (he hates idols) and that can be an instrument to the show’s humor. On the other hand, I’m a bit nervous that the show’s premise could wear thin afterwards. The production looks shaky for an idol show, with the musical number being absolutely forgettable. Ultimately, Kami Kuzu Idol is uneven across all tables, but it’s the messiness that makes it different from your typical idol fare. Give it a try at least!
Potential: 30%

Engage Kiss

Short Synopsis: Anime original anime borrows ideas from other successful franchises and is bad – also has a high school not-vampire waifu.

Amun: I’m actually a bit angry at this premiere. There are talented animators who worked hard to make this 20 minutes of good looking garbage. Everything about this show is a pale imitation of something better. This is a trashy vampire storyline without the blood sucking. The weird love triangle is Darling in the Franxx, just with financial irresponsibility instead of ED (and no mechs). The fight scenes are good – maybe not great, but I’d say good. For example, the back-to-back ex-gf/jailbait fight was nicely done and had proper tension. There were definite momentary shots that looked good in a vacuum (mostly involving flying poker chips). The final scenes with falling glass really reminded me of Guilty Crown’s first episode – just not quite as good looking. It would be all fine – except whoever wrote this was thinking with the wrong head. And didn’t even do a good job at it. Wait, I looked this up….this is an anime original. A-1, why do this?! There are so many better light novels or manga or napkin ideas to be adapted! Final verdict – too many good resources of animation were spent on this crap writing.
Potential: 1%

Lenlo: Engage Kiss is… Run of the mill. Demons/Monsters/Whatever in the modern day in a made up city? Check. Kirito look-a-like? Check. Looking like every other show A-1 Pictures has made in the last few years? Check. Though maybe that one is a bit unfair, there were some nice first person PoV shots in there. About the only thing I’m interested in is this PMC setup and how the MC is actively seeking out the conflict, possibly getting in trouble with the politics of the city. I think it could do some interesting stuff with that kind of setup. I just wish that for once we could get this kind of show without this weird needy/creepy relationship with whatever waifu-of-the-season bait the show could come up with. It’s just so… forced in. There’s no actual chemistry there, and it’s like the premise of the show exists just for love triangle three way, a graphic kissy-face scene and gratuitous ass shots. Like yeah, it was a well animated kissy-face, tongue and all. But at that point just make the high-budget hentai we all know you want to make and don’t try and bait me some action.
Potential: 10.1%

Shoot! Goal to the Future

Short Synopsis: A boy with a traumatic past refuses to play soccer anymore.

Mario: Yes, you don’t really need any knowledge of the original Shoot to follow this sequel, the same way Mix: Meisei Story works without knowledge of Touch. But the new Shoot series is one of those shows that I’m more than happy to cross off the watchlist. First, it’s really weird to start off with these POV shooting scenes as it doesn’t mesh with the rest of the show. The characters are downright unlikable (almost all of them) as the show tries to push for melodrama. While melodrama has always been in Shoot’s DNA (the original show has a player who passed away after a match. It’s hinted right there in this episode), you can see all the tricks for full-blown impact here: MC with traumatic past, shouting in frustration, freeze shots for all its conflicts. Its sense of self-importance threatens to suffocate the characters, and us viewers. The plot leaves no room for subtlety at all, given how the source of MC’s trauma appears right at the end of this first episode. While I’m glad the franchise is back, I have zero interest in following it any further.
Potential: 0%

Wooper: I’ve seen a few episodes of Aoki Densetsu Shoot (the prequel to Goal to the Future) and it didn’t appeal to me very much, so it’s not a big surprise that its next-gen spinoff failed to capture me. What did surprise me, though, was the edginess of this premiere. One of its first scenes sees the main character monologuing about the uselessness of his high school’s soccer team and smirking at their defeat. He and the team’s captain get into multiple shouting matches throughout the episode, with a couple moments getting so overdramatic that I imagined both boys with Super Saiyan hair. They attempt to settle their differences with a PK shootout, but that only serves to enrage the loser, then a potential coach (an aged-up character from the original series) calls the team “terrible” and threatens to turn down the job if they don’t live up to his expectations. I can understand the decision to create animosity within the cast, but taking it to this extent results in skepticism rather than audience investment. On the plus side, this episode boasts one wonderfully animated scene – a flashback to the old member weaving through defenders as a teenager. My advice is to watch that moment in isolation (it starts at 17:33 and lasts about ten seconds), then put this show out of your mind forever.
Potential: 5%

Spring 2022 Check-In – Weeks 10-13

by SuperWooper, posted in Weekly Summary

Wooper: I’m hitting publish on this check-in post at the eleventh hour, as today is the final day of the spring season. Today may also mark my final time doing one of these columns, as I’m in the process of weaning myself off seasonal anime. Summer premieres begin tomorrow, though, and I’ll still be wading through them along with the rest of the gang for the next couple weeks – thoughts and prayers appreciated.

Spriggan 1

First, a disclaimer: I haven’t read the Spriggan manga or seen the anime film by Studio 4°C, so my perspective may be useful only to those of you who are similarly ignorant of the series’ history. The only Spriggan-related material I’ve got under my belt is episode one of the new streaming series, all six episodes of which are around 40 minutes in length. The good news is that the first episode didn’t drag at all; the bad news is that it’s wall-to-wall action with little in the way of character writing. The CG characters (mostly protagonist Yuu and a couple dozen military dudes) integrate pretty well with the 2D ones, which greatly benefits the half dozen fight scenes in the premiere. Spriggan is a cut above TV anime like Dorohedoro on that front, but the same can’t be said for its script, which has been mangled by unimportant jargon. Characters spend precious minutes describing the functions of their biomechanical suits, the specific hardness levels of their swords, and the origins of relics belonging to ancient civilizations – meanwhile, we know next to nothing about Yuu or his professor friend, apart from the fact that they met as children. What sort of life does Yuu lead outside of being a Spriggan warrior? What sort of person is he, apart from being determined (as nearly all action heroes are) and talkative? The show hasn’t answered these questions so far. It’s possible that the premiere’s tidy resolution will give way to a slower, more personal second episode, but I won’t be sticking around to find out.

Continue reading “Spring 2022 Check-In – Weeks 10-13” →

Welcome to the NHK – 11/12 [Welcome to the Conspiracy!/Welcome to the Offline Gathering!] – Throwback Thursday

by Lenlo, posted in Currently Watching:, Throwback Thursday, Welcome to the NHK

Normally this is where I welcome everyone to this weeks episodes of Welcome to the NHK. I have this whole spiel about what happened this week, maybe try to hook you in, its a jovial and happy time. But not this week. Cause this week, after an entire cour of soft balls, NHK finally decided to start playing hardball. And I’m all about it. So lets dive in.

First and foremost, mostly because I want to save all my spoilers for after the break, NHK looked janky this week. It was never a good looking show to begin with, relying heavily on clever and engaging direction. But we didn’t really get that. Instead, this week in particular with these two episodes, the production quality felt like it dropped like a rock. From static cars sliding across the screen to incredibly low detail closeups, NHK did not look good this week. Now luckily NHK isn’t the kind of show where that really matters. It would be nice, I would love this to get the unique production it deserves. But there’s just enough there to not take away from the story *too much.

And what a story it is. To give you a bit of a teaser: Turns out I was wrong, Hitomi isn’t a prostitute. That would have been an easier pill to swallow.

Continue reading “Welcome to the NHK – 11/12 [Welcome to the Conspiracy!/Welcome to the Offline Gathering!] – Throwback Thursday” →

Summer 2022 Season Preview

by Lenlo, posted in Seasonal Previews

Lenlo: And so ends one of the most packed seasons we’ve had in a while. From the drama and artistry of Dance Dance Danseur to the wholesomeness of Deaimon, the grand finale of Kaguya-sama‘s third season to the rising star that is SpyXFamily. It’s going to be hard to top that moving forward, but let’s turn our eyes to the future and see what is has in store for us. Like every season you have the usual batch of sequels, some big some small. Overlord returns for its 4th season of anti-hero Isekai while Made in Abyss will once again toe the line between tragedy and the grotesque. What is surprising though is the sheer amount of originals. Engage Kiss, Lycrosi Recoil, Bucchigire and Ongakutai Witches to name a few. For anyone wanting something new, you’re spoiled for choice. I just hope you don’t want anything good. And of course the big surprise of the season for me is RWBY actually becoming a real anime now. You hear that Reddit?! You can’t stop me from talking about it on r/anime anymore! Who has the power now?! ahem Like I was saying, there’s a lot of decent looking stuff this season. So join us and read on as we take a look at the ones that stood out to us. And make sure to vote on the poll below for what you’re looking forward to!

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What will you be watching this summer?
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Middling Expectations

Isekai Ojisan

Studio: Atelier Pontdarc
Director: Shigeki Kawai
Series composition: Kenta Ihara
Source: Manga

The Premise: An Isekai protagonist is transported back to Earth only to find 2 decades have passed, and now it is up to his nephew to help him fit back into the world.

Lenlo: The only reason I’m even remotely interested in this is because I think the concept is interesting. So many Isekai are just wish fulfillment for the young Otaku, pandering to the lowest common denominator. And while Ojisan still might be that, probably is to be frank, the idea of seeing him re-integrate with the real world after his Isekai adventure is one I’m very interested in. Very few Isekai actually tackle the implications of disappearing from the real world, with even fewer actually returning to said world. So while I expect this to be just another seasonal Isekai dumpster fire, I’m willing to at least give it a shot and see if it can’t do something more with this concept. On top of that it’s also Shigeki Kawai’s Directorial debut, so I’m always curious about a new talent getting their first shot at the big leagues. Who knows, maybe their desire to leave a mark will work out here!

Continue reading “Summer 2022 Season Preview” →

Spy X Family – 11/12 [Stella/Penguin Park]

by Lenlo, posted in Currently Watching:, Spy X Family

Hello everyone, and welcome to a SpyXFamily double feature! I apologize for missing last week. I was so caught up in writing the Danseur review that I completely forgot to do this. Luckily, the season is taking a break until October so I have all the time in the world now to get ready for the second half. A shame the industry needs this but hey, take what we can get. Now lets dive into the episodes!

So first up, lets talk about SpyXFamily’s animation. There was some great stuff in both episodes, but this week’s certainly takes the cake. There were so many small bits, like the water and character animation when Loid was checking the ID or when Anya was touring her penguin around the house at the end, that simply beautiful. For those who don’t know, parts of this episode were outsourced to Studio Madhouse, getting some help to finish off the season. Now I don’t know who did what scenes, but helping relieve some of the pressure clearly paid off with just how produced the episode looked. It really makes you wish studio’s would take less work so that teams could focus on what they have, rather than having to trade favors and get help just to finish an episode. Regardless, it looked good.

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RWBY: Ice Queendom – 1/2/3 [Red, White, Black, Yellow/This is Beacon/Nightmare Comes]

by Lenlo, posted in Currently Watching:, RWBY: Ice Queendom

Welcome everyone, to the first airing show of the Summer 2022 season, RWBY: Ice Queendom! The first 3 episodes pre-aired for some reason, so despite our opening seasonal coverage not coming out until this weekend I decided to go for it. Don’t worry, you don’t have to know anything about RWBY to read along. It’s most just going to be me explaining and reaming into it. So without further ado, lets jump in!

First up lets get this out of the way, Queendom looks wildly inconsistent. This isn’t a huge surprise, its Shaft post-exodus so it was always going to be rough. But it still hurts to actually see. Once or twice an episode we will get an absolutely bonkers Hiroto Nagata cut, and it will be glorious. I’m talking everything I ever wanted an anime RWBY to be. Outside that however… The stills look nice, huke’s art style is always great, but the moment things begin to move it falls apart. Everyone becomes stiff, like they can’t handle the character designs in motion. Meanwhile the bullheads and airships look like literal toys, sliding across the screen motionless. And the backgrounds? They are occasionally nice, but nothing to write home about. They do their job and nothing more, rarely pulling us deeper into this world. Basically what I’m saying is, Queendom looks… meh.

Continue reading “RWBY: Ice Queendom – 1/2/3 [Red, White, Black, Yellow/This is Beacon/Nightmare Comes]” →

Welcome to the NHK – 9/10 [Welcome to Summer Days!/Welcome to the Dark Side!] – Throwback Thursday

by Lenlo, posted in Currently Watching:, Throwback Thursday, Welcome to the NHK

Welcome everyone, to what will no doubt be a late week of Welcome to the NHK! I apologize for that, I’ve been playing a bit to much Path of Exile this week and I’ve shirked my duties a bit. Don’t worry though, I’ll get over this obsession soon… I hope. Now on with the show!

This week lets skip the preamble and jump right in with episode 9, “Welcome to Summer Days!”. This was an interesting one, because it was a Yamazaki centric episode. And if I can be honest, it’s more than I thought Yamazaki was ever going to get. My mistake, I know, but I kind of thought NHK would be all about Sato. That it would be using him as a comparison point to all of the other characters, rather than giving them their own solo-stories. More the fool I, huh? My own stupidity aside, I really like what NHK did here. It didn’t just present Yamazaki as this pitiable fool, rather it showed us how he got to be the way he is. And just how easy it would be for him to escape it had he the will. Not to dissimilar to Sato, huh? Spoilers after the break!

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Dance Dance Danseur Anime Review 86/100

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Dance Dance Danseur, Finished Series: Romance, Reviews by Lenlo

Everyone has a type. Whether it be fighting games, Shounen battle anime, even who they like to date. Everyone has something that they can point to and say “I like that, give me more”. Well after 450 anime, after Welcome to the Ballroom, Princess Tutu and so much more, I think I’ve figured out one of mine: Fancy dancing. And after this season, I think I can narrow it down even more: Ballet dancing. The entire aesthetic is something I can’t get enough of. And it’s thanks to the subject of this review, my favorite anime of the Spring 2022 season, that I figured that out. Produced at Studio MAPPA, originally created by George Asakura, Directed by Munehisa Sakai of Zombie Land Saga with music by Michiru I give to you: Dance Dance Danseur. Let’s jump into it.

Be warned, this review contains minor unmarked spoilers for Dance Dance Danseur. It also contains major spoilers in some sections, but these will be heavily marked to avoid accidents. Continue reading “Dance Dance Danseur Anime Review 86/100” →

Dance Dance Danseur – 11 [Oh, I Think I Love Classical Ballet]

by Lenlo, posted in Currently Watching:, Dance Dance Danseur

This is it everyone, welcome to the finale of Dance Dance Danseur! This is a pretty eventful week all things considered. Someone gets the girl while another gets a scholarship, all the while a dementia ridden grandmother laughs along at the drama. So the question is: Is it any good? Let’s jump in and find out.

First up lets talk about the visuals. If you ask me, these are a bit of mixed bag. The first half was absolutely gorgeous. Like legitimately beautiful, I don’t think anyone can dispute that. The lighting, Luou’s movements, how it was all framed and storyboarded. Great stuff. However the second half leaves much to be desired, both in animation and storyboarding. Part of this no doubt comes down to the location. There’s no way a static classroom provides the same kind of scenery and options that a beach at sunset does. Beyond that, we also need to recognize that MAPPA problem: Melt. MAPPA has a history of productions falling apart in the second half, it’s just a fact. And we saw a bit of that as if you check the credits, this episode has 13 different studios working on it. I’m amazed it came out as good as it did.

Continue reading “Dance Dance Danseur – 11 [Oh, I Think I Love Classical Ballet]” →