Dr. Stone
Short Synopsis: A teen self-proclaimed scientist and his loud sidekick try and revive humanity after being turned into stone for thousands of years.
Lenlo’s review:
My biggest worry about Dr. Stone going into it was how the anime would adapt Boichi’s art into animation. For the most part, it seems to have gone well. Occasionally the complex designs get in the way, but Dr. Stone handled itself well. And in place of flashy animation, Dr. Stone has some clever tricks up its sleeve. Such as the timelapse near the end, which did more in 2 minutes than some series do in 23. Now, the only issue facing Dr. Stone is its slow start. The series doesn’t really get going until after this introductory arc, where Senku starts going wild and playing with science. The way it was handled in this episode though makes a good impression for the future I feel. Suffice to say, if your going into this expecting classic Shounen battles and such, then Dr. Stone may not be for you. However if you enjoy all the regular Shounen tropes and want a chance to watch them work in a mostly non-battle setting like I do, then I see no reason not to stick with it.
Potential: 75%
Armitage’s review:
This is a series which really needs no introduction. One of Shounen Jump’s most prized properties. A manga that seems to have only been growing in popularity since it started being published and one that barely misses out a spot on their Big 3 in terms of sales. But, that’s to be expected, as it involves some good ol’ Science!! Finally, we have Dr. STONE: The Anime. The story is actually pretty interesting and has a real catchy hook (not as much of a gut-punch as Neverland, but that’s an unfair yet inevitable comparison). Humanity being turned to stone, for thousands of years. Well, 3780 years to be exact. How do we know that? Because our boy Senku, counted every goddamn second! Yup. The kid’s wicked smart.
His plan, is to revive all of human civilization and have them progress from stone age to modern day, but you know, at real breakneck speed. Looks promising! The art and animation too are mostly competent for most parts. My only issue is our other main character, Taiju, who seems to have been brought into anime form with the ‘Asta from Black Clover’ syndrome. He is obnoxiously loud. And at some points, that really started to get on my nerves. Also, I know that the early few episodes won’t be as stellar, since the manga goes through a soft reset in vol. 2 and from that point on, things really pick up. Still, if you can ignore these minor quibbles, this should be a fun ride!
Potential: 75%
Enen no Shouboutai
Short Synopsis: A new recruit joins a squad of supernatural firefighters in order to become a hero.
Lenlo’s review:
Whew, is it hot in here, or is that just Fire Force? Seriously, if nothing else, the show looks good. If David Production can keep this up for all 4 cours, I will be impressed. That said, it was a rocky start for me. Fire Force had a lot it wanted to get across in a single episode. From its tragic backstory and its world building, to not one but 2 fantastically animated fights. It tried to shove a lot in there and this resulted in some… sudden tonal shifts, for me. The actual content was fine, it’s mostly your usual Shounen fare, though with a rather interesting twist this time. It just seemed to me to be a bit cramped. However if Shounen or fantastic fight animation is your game, I think this series from the creator of Soul Eater will be right up your alley. I know it’s up mine. I mean c’mon, 4 cours of beautiful fire animation? I have to see this.
Potential: 90%
Wooper’s review:
I read the first volume of the manga for this one, and the anime adaptation is off to a solid start. That may seem like faint praise, but given the striking nature of Atsushi Okobo’s art, an accurate translation to the TV screen indicates a hell of an effort by the creative team. The linework in particular is really crisp, so the characters are fun to watch even during their tropiest moments. There’s a bit of SHAFT flavor here, too, as some of the people on staff are refugees from that studio. The shots that place pipes and other machinery in the foreground to obscure the characters provide a slightly darker atmosphere, and the morphing shadows of Shinra’s relatives amplify the cruelty of their gossip regarding his tragic past. And then there’s the main attraction. While there’s a smattering of computer-generated flames during the big fight scene at the end (as well as a couple backgrounds that are entirely CG), the show’s treatment of fire is awesome. Combustion this impressive-looking lends believability to the series’ Solar Era future, where people pray to the sun god and an unlucky few spontaneously burst into flames. Even if this premise fails to spark my interest going forward, the art and animation should carry me through.
Potential: 80%
Granbelm
Short Synopsis: A girl finds herself in the middle of cat mecha fight before pilots one herself.
Lenlo’s review:
Granbelm has me more than a little confused. It’s like Madoka Magica with a hint of Fate and a dash of chibi Mecha, all wrapped up in Re:Zero’s character designs. Yet with none of the magic those series had. It feels like it was adapted from a gacha game really. I can’t decide if it’s a terribly generic mesh of a bunch of successful series, or some authors attempt to stand out. Don’t get me wrong, Granbelm is pretty enough I suppose, it didn’t look bad in motion, though the Mecha felt pretty weightless. And the Re:Zero character designs still look great, regardless of what show they are in. Its just that there was never a single moment in this episode where I felt invested in what was going on. No singular aspect stood out to me as interesting. Maybe that’s just my predilection against Cute Girl shows. Maybe it’s the mecha designs. I dunno. Granbelm doesn’t look bad, it’s not the worst show I have seen so far this season. It’s just the most… average.
Potential: 30%
Mario’s review:
It’s rather refreshing to see hand-drawn mecha fights in the time where the industry tends to cut corners with CG animation… if only I have a reason to care about those fights. Having extended battle from the two sides we haven’t known, nor cared about, is a pretty bad idea. Add to that we have the plain main girl hasn’t established any distinct personality before being swept up to all this. The general plot doesn’t push the envelope as it goes pretty formulaic (for example the main girl is “the one” or she takes literally 2 minutes before mastering her moves), yet I don’t dismiss it entirely because the core concepts of these girls as mages piloting robots to retrieve magic could become epic on its own way. So in the end we have an episode with solid mecha animation, one-note characters all around and the plot that could go serious as the story pans out. I can see the ambitions from the staff, the question remains whether they can pull it off.
Potential: 30%
