91 Days
Short Synopsis: During the prohibition of America, A man seeks revenge against the Mafia for the death of his family.
We I believe we have a winner for the best first episode of the season. This series is oozing with potential and so far the writing has been solid. The characters are quite dynamic though I hope the main doesn’t pull this bit too try hard “cool” act for the rest of the series. I think the studio picked up some tips from Durarara and Narita’s writing style because this episode felt somewhat like Baccano. I really dig that. The character art could be better as some far shots the characters faces don’t look quite right but otherwise everything is solid and has style. The music and sound are of particular note as it captures the era perfectly. Of course this is only the first episode and what will really define the series is where it goes from here. But I see real promise in this and I hope it can live up to that. Then if they succeed, all we need is a Baccano styled english dub with accents and this will be glorious.
Potential: 95%
Mario’s thoughts:
Truth be told, while watching this, my mind keeps wandering back to Joker Games last season. Joker Games started out really strong and compelling, then went completely off the mark later on. Here in 91 Days I sense some of the same vibe so I’m a bit worry here. This first episode’s execution is solid to say the least, with gritty and dark themes about revenge and might as well about survival. I particularly enjoyed the muted color palate and the sound designs of this show. Those jazz music reminds much of this bygone era, and the dark color design nailed down the gritty world they live in. The cast so far is likeable enough, but they serve more as a vehicle of the plot than as a real person. Finally, about the plot, it sets up for a big revenge plot and for now I’m pretty much on board with the direction they head in, but like I mentioned earlier the revenge plot can stretch out too thin or can easily become a trainwreck and given how much I enjoyed the first 2 episodes of Joker Game, I have a bit of doubt on 91 Days. Then again, original shows don’t appear quite often and for the show as solid as this one, 91 Days is a must-watch of this season.
Potential: 90%
Amanchu!
Short Synopsis: Two girls become fast friends and decide to join the scuba club at their new school.
I thought I seen those weird cats before. In my preview I missed that this particular manga was by the author of Aria which you may know as one of the best animes to sit back and relax to. It was never deep nor did it have a story with much meat but you would be hard pressed to find another anime that could mellow you out after a few episodes. Here it looks like he’s aiming for a similar story and or the most part it’s done well. The odd deformed puppet look the characters get somethings can be weird at times but the show does have a certain optimistic charm to it. We now have two shows this season aiming for the same general feeling though in terms of quality both are on the same level. I will bump up the potential on this one due to its pedigree but really you can’t go wrong with checking either out. The friendship between the two leads is quite adorable to watch and the animation is pretty good. If you need some healing this season I say this would do the trick, especially after watching a certain other show this season which is emotionally tearing people to shreds with suffering….perhaps I will be watching both of these feel good shows this season.
Potential: 70%
Mario’s thoughts:
Amanchu! Is based on a manga written by an author who also wrote ARIA, and the series composer of this show who also worked for Flying itch last season, so I think you know what to expect here: a slow, tender slice of life series that relies heavily on atmosphere and endearing cast. That is exactly what you get here. The show’s pacing and occasionally silly faces remind me much of ARIA. The first half especially brings the ocean to life, while at the same time shows how each girl responses to the ocean: Hikari just loves being a part of the ocean, while Futaba’s somehow disconnected and being busy with her phone, since she feels insecure about the new place. The second part spends time as they met each other and being introduced to the new class. I like the dynamic between the two leads so far, since they bound off each other rather well. If you like ARIA, Flying witch (I do), then this show definitely is for you; otherwise, you can just check out this episode to see if you like it, as I am sure the rest will offer more of the same here.
Potential: 80%
Alderamin on the Sky
Short Synopsis: After getting shipwrecked and saving a young princess, a group of military cadets must find a way to escape enemy territory.
Madhouse delivers standout adaption yet again but in this case my thoughts on the story still remain murky. I still am not fond of how the main character tends to be the only person with a plan and is always right. There are also some light novel cliches we could do better without and those weird goblin things are still so out of place that I really have no idea why they are even here. All and all this is a solid start and I like how they sped up matters to get to the meat of the story. This does the job but doesn’t excel. There is potential for this to grow into a story about a general overcoming great odds to win large scale battles but I don’t think the writing is strong enough to get the most out of such a premise. What I expect here is a decent show but nothing more.
Potential: 50%
Mario’s thoughts:
Well, I was expecting this to be a lesser show out of the three shows today but it turns out to be quite solid. Then I looked it up, and found that Madhouse is behind this project so I have my faith. There are fair shares of good and so-so elements but as a whole this first episode succeeds nicely. The biggest strength of the show is in its settings. It’s nice to see something besides the usual school settings and all that. I like the look of ancient Egyptian designs, with fairies somehow mix in and the conflict between two nations is also an interesting aspect. Being said that, put characters with different personas together before things went horribly wrong is the kind of plot we have seen so often, and most of them don’t offer any distinctive traits to stand out yet. Also that cast comes from noble upbringing (except for our main character) that it already felt like they act over the top. And that speech “Invincible LAZY General” at the end? I know it’s unintentional but it makes me laugh so hard. In the end, I’m not too sold about character’s department; but structurally, the story moves confidently and I want to explore that world even more after this episode.
Potential: 40%
