And here it comes. The first impressions are on your way. Start up with the children’s shows
Time Bokan 24
Short Synopsis: A kid is kidnapped by a time-travel rhinoceros beetle machine on his way to school, soon to find out he’s destined to be the one (going back time to find a ‘true’ history)
Mario: Your typical kid show where super-team kids have to go back history to find the real (and somehow “funny”) history. While the show has some merit in its premise (who doesn’t like the idea to go past time and witness what really happened in our history), Time Bokan 24 doesn’t really care to dig deep into the historical figures or events. Take this first episode for example, the only trait Cleopatra possesses in textbook history is ‘beautiful’, so the twist is that they are actually a comedy husband-and-wife unattractive-but-charming duo. No, it doesn’t make any sense for me either. And being billed as an action kid show, of course there is an action mecha fight out of nowhere in the climax. I haven’t mentioned any of the leads simply because by the end of this episode I already forget about them. This isn’t worth anyone time.
Potential: 0%
Heybot!
Short Synopsis: A kid was sent away on his birthday to find his precious “screw”, then he finds “the one” (Heybot robot)
Mario: Imagine my utmost amazement when I actually find Heybot occasionally funny and entertaining. Yes, this is a series about a toy product, and the comedy is so randomly and throw at your face from every angle that its misses are as consistent as its hits. But for a children’s show to be this loose, and still remains entertaining on top of that, it’s a joy to watch. The main thing that makes this first episode really work is that Heybot never takes itself seriously, but instead keep “screwing” around. In this world (Screw Kingdom), everyone loves screw. For a kid show, the amount of hidden sexual jokes are overwhelming, if one really notices it. Lines like “Battery virgin”, “It’s a screw hole, so it means I stick it in, and screw”. “Feel so good!” could give any parents a hard time when watching with kids, but I’m glad the show sticks with it. The plot is as nonsensical as it could get, but you’re not watching this show for plot, you watch it for (the love of) screw!
Potential: 25%
Monster Hunter Stories: Ride On
Short Synopsis: A kid on his way to collect and hatch a monster egg, soon to find out that he’s destined to be the one (to be a monster rider).
Mario: Monster Hunter doesn’t offer much context, except being a harmless kid action show. The plot of a kid who finds a monster egg to hatch, and later eventually become “the one” is a story that already been told thousand times. For what it’s worth the cast is generic but at least they aren’t annoying; and the monster designs look just like those monsters from Yugioh TCG. The backgrounds, as expected from children show, are colorful. The same can be said with those monsters and our character’s hairs. I have not much else to talk about this show unfortunately. This show is not a waste of time per se but there’s nothing truly stand out from it either.
Potential: 0%
I think at some point, anime sites should just leave kids shows alone.
For one thing, I can’t imagine it’s anything the key demographic cares about. I mean, your typical 5-10 years old isn’t googling Miles From Tomorrowland or Yokai watch to read reviews and breakdowns about it, and really their sensibilities are different from your typical western anime demographic of teens and above, so I don’t know if you’re really serving a necessary audience.
The other things is that the reviews are often the same no matter who writes them about whichever show because the productions companies got the formula down pat. It’s always something nonsensical pushing some sort of product we will never see, and most likely for reviewers, their times are better used on another show rather than a kids show.
You’re almost better off just write shows x,y,z are excluded because their targeted audiences are children, because you effectively write them off every season anyway. Just seems like extra work for not a lot of reward or necessity other maybe a compulsion to have everything covered
I must admit this come from my part and not the whole team on deciding to cover children’s shows. Although like you say those impressions will never reach its target audience, I myself firmly believe in other to judge the whole anime’s seasons are like, we need to watch the whole package- everything (if I have my say, I’d include shorts as well). Second thing is I also want to give these shows a chance, at least these shows are products if hard-laboring for some people so I think it’s fair for me to at least watch them and review them. Lastly, this is actually my hobby to check new things out, not really a compulsary issue. To say that I see your points so everyone else please have your say on whether we should continue or stop do impressions on kids shows