Boku no Tonari ni Ankoku Hakaishin ga Imasu
Short Synopsis: An irritable high schooler must deal with a delusional classmate after they’re put into the same study group.
Wooper’s review:
This isn’t the worst premiere I’ve seen so far this season, but it’s certainly the one from which I gleaned the least enjoyment. Shows like number24 and Infinite Dendrogram were, at the very least, so bad that I could amuse myself by criticizing them. “A Destructive God Sits Next to Me,” as this series is titled in English, didn’t make me feel a single thing. Despite its decent production and plentiful reaction faces, it’s somehow less tolerable than last season’s Chuubyou Gekihatsu Boy, which was another show about guys with eighth-grader syndrome. Destructive God’s protagonist is a “normal” guy, but he’s so aggravated by the delusions of his chuuni classmate that watching him becomes a chore. It’s like he doesn’t want to be in his own show, which certainly isn’t a good attitude to give your main character if your goal is audience retention. There’s no story to speak of, unless you count MC-kun experiencing endless frustration at his classmate’s game of pretend. This show has so thoroughly sapped my energy that I can’t be bothered to craft a closing sentence.
Potential: 1%
Lenlo’s review:
Bland. Blaaaaaaaand. BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND. This is the blandest premiere I have seen so far. I just finished watching it, and if you asked me questions about it, I wouldn’t be able to answer them. It’s like your most basic comedy sketch show, with a character that doesn’t want to be on it. And if the character doesn’t want to be on it, why should I want to watch it? Nope, sorry, this gets a solid:
Potential: Bland%
22/7
Short Synopsis: Eight girls are summoned to a zoo and informed that they will become idols in a week’s time.
Lenlo’s review:
ALL HAIL THE WALL! AS THE WALL COMMANDS AND SO SHALL IT BE! BRING ME YOUR YOUNG WOMEN WITH LITTLE TO NO MUSICAL TALENT. BRING ME YOUR DAUGHTERS WITH SKIMPY SKIRTS. BRING ME YOUR SHY AND DISILLUSIONED MC’s. THEY SHALL BECOME IDOLS FOR THE WALL. WHY? DO NOT QUESTION THE WALL, IT DEMANDS ENTERTAINMENT. YOU WISH TO WATCH GOOD ANIME? THE WALL DENIES YOUR REQUEST. THERE IS NO ANIME BUT THE WALL AND YOU SHALL ENJOY IT YOU FILTHY PEASANTS. ALL HAIL THE WALL! THE WALL! THE WALL! THE WALL! THE WALL!…
Potential: Wall%
Wooper’s review:
22/7 is the latest in a new breed of idol series from this season, come to inform us that idols “laugh at stupid things, wear frilly outfits, and shake their butts for their customers.” That’s a direct quote from the show’s main character, and it’s not a point of view that’s magically reversed by the episode’s end, either. The lead girl is anxious and lonely, and she only agrees to become an entertainer because she loses her part-time convenience store gig. Why does she lose her job? Because it’s the will of “The Wall” that she become an idol. What is The Wall? It’s an inanimate oracle of sorts, which provides guidance to a fated group of girls from an underground idol training facility. Why was this extravagant subterranean facility built to serve just eight young idols-in-training? Because it’s the will of The Wall that they become idols.
This show is dumb, to be sure, but its skeptical attitude towards its chosen industry is interesting – especially because the eight girls I mentioned earlier are voiced by members of the real-life idol group 22/7. All of their performances are unpolished; a few are believable in their roles, but most of them aren’t. When you factor in its rough art and animation, this show appears to be an easy skip… but something about its bizarre mythology and unconventional leading lady has me curious about where it’s headed.
Potential: 15%
Kyokou Suiri
Short Synopsis: Girl who mediates disputes between yokai seeks help from man who ate their flesh as a child.
Amun’s review:
Several seasons ago, I was head over heels for the first episode of a show called Kyoukai no Kanata. It had great visuals, great chemistry, wonderful character designs, the works. I felt it was destined for greatness…when in reality, the pinnacle of the show was an idol routine that ended in a…sliming (yes, that’s a verb). I say all of this to express my reservations on the excellent first episode from Kyoukou Suiri – I will not be tricked again! With a main girl who reminds me the world of Charlotte and a bland, over-powered MC, I must resist my yokai sympathies and temper my expectations for what surely will be another letdown…actually, I’m super hyped, this is AOTS for me, I’m sure of it this time!
Potential: 1000000000%
Mario’s review:
Overall, I enjoyed this episode. It takes a while for the true plot to kick in, but it carries through by a solid chemistry between the two leads. This premiere has long but engaging dialogues, and how their conversations lead into the show’s main themes work well for me. The backstory of the girl being a mediator for weak yokai, for example, is intriguing, but I can’t say I’m that impressed on the boy’s story. Her backstory, in addition, lacks suspense, consider that she was kidnapped and lost her eye and leg in the process. On the production side, Kyoukou Suiri has a pretty solid animation, but I am not at all a fan with its muted color palette. So far, it’s the intriguing themes and the solid character chemistry that serve as main strength to me, and I am happy to recommend it as the one to look out for in this Winter season.
Potential: 60%
I…actually kinda liked 22/7, even with the stupid wall. I do agree that most of the girls’ actors can’t act for the life of them. Miu’s voice in particular is way too low. But I’ll watch a little more and see how it plays out.
Kinda surprised you didn’t cover Show By Rock Mashumairesh yet. At least that premiere didn’t involve a magical wall that decides everything for you.
Show By Rock is a sequel, which we don’t typically do first impressions for unless some of the writers are specifically interested in them. Perhaps you can watch it without prior knowledge, but nobody’s mentioned it on our end.
You are not alone, Firechick. I found 22/7 to be intriguing. Miu character is a bit of a miss for me, but yeah I want to see more of it
I had a read there of around 10 volumes now of Kyoukou suiri’s manga adaptation, the main characters are consistently likeable and are well played off each other, its funny sometimes aswell.
Although the episodic format for the mysteries, while some of them thankfully are given more than one chapter/will probably get more than one episode in some cases, that does lead to the series kind of falling into a formula.
There’s a REAL long arc in the manga that feels like the highlight mystery and it does have bits involving the lead guys past and some girl he knew, I want to see more of her.
There was one other mystery involving a puppet that was pretty cool and episode 2 of the anime was okay.
Feels like I’ve got my fill of the manga now though.