Shin Samurai-den Yaiba
Short Synopsis: A young swordsman raised in the jungle is shipped off to live at the dojo of his father’s rival.
Lenlo: You know, there’s something almost nostalgic about an almost 40 year old Shounen. It just feels… fun, like it lacks a lot of the self-serious trappings so many modern series have taken on to fit “modern” sensibilities. Add onto that a shockingly good production, seriously these simple designs allow the animators to hog wild who cares about staying “On model”, and you have something that could be a lot of fun. The episode and OP make me a bit nervous, looks like a lot of the older and more questionable tropes from the era are along for the ride as well, I’m talking about the 80’s treatment of women/female characters and general horniness, so we’ll see how well the rest of the series goes and if the weird stuff pushes out the fun good stuff. For now though it wasn’t prevalent enough to bother me much, I was pleasantly surprised by Samurai-den and I’m looking forward to a simple, fun, well animated action series from an older era.
Potential: 50%
Wooper: I know it’s only been one episode, but based on what I saw here, Shin Samurai-den Yaiba may end up as my pick for best-animated show of the year. (Though KyoAni’s City the Animation should give it a run for its money next season.) Its excellence isn’t a surprise with key staff members from Mob Psycho 100 aboard, but it’s nice how well the Kanada school swordsmanship harmonizes with the show’s backgrounds. The colors are vivid without hurting your eyes, while the characters may be loud enough to hurt your ears, depending on your tolerance for combative personalities. That’s the thing about Yaiba – the source manga’s age makes it a cousin to Dragon Ball, and though this adaptation boasts a beautiful coat of paint, its tone (as well as its story, I suspect) will feel very familiar to folks who grew up with the Big Three and similar shounen properties. Our hero is short, naive, gluttonous, brash, and obsessed with testing his strength – thankfully, he meets his Destined Rival at the end of this episode, which will allow him to exercise that fifth trait until the Power of Friendship inevitably unites them. Personally, I think the show is good-looking enough to overcome the formula that’ll power its plot, so I plan to watch more – though probably not on a weekly basis.
Potential: 50%
Kowloon Generic Romance
Short Synopsis: Real estate workers do their best to avoid romance while corporate machines slowly rob them of their memories. The lead lady is very cute.
Lenlo: I may not know yet what Kowloon Generic Romance is selling, but I can tell you that whatever it is, I’m buying. I absolutely adore the slow romance between the two leads, the clear chemistry and longing between them, the only thing keeping them apart being some unknown mystery around lost memories and a machine built to store them. Combine that with the dense, interesting setting of Kowloon and some gorgeous visuals, both in the designs and the backgrounds, and you have what is easily my favorite premiere of the season so far. I honestly can’t wait for the next episode, it’s been a while since I’ve bought into a romance so hard so quickly, I’m looking forward to it.
Potential: 90%
The Gorilla God’s Go-To Girl
Short Synopsis: In a world where everyone gets a blessing from the gods, one girl was blessed by the god of Gorillas.
Lenlo: Do you remember that tomboy romance show from a few seasons ago, about the tall and athletic girl who just wanted to be treated like a regular girl by her crush? Take that, shove it into an OP MC fantasy show, and you have Kami Kara Kago. It’s a mix of ironic comedy, giving a small girl the strength of a gorilla, a highschool rom-com, because of course it’s set in magic highschool, and some light fantasy elements disguised as what is effectively a highschool athletics club. Is it good? No. Is it bad… Not really? It’s just kind of mediocre, filled with a bunch of elements we’ve seen before all thrown together. If you’re really itching for a reverse-harem, Kami Kara Kago should fill that void, as it’s basically a strong girl with a growing harem of male students impressed by her strength.
Potential: 10%
Anime with adult protagonists? Inconceivable!
BTW, the lead lady is more than just cute. Hentai artists will have to work long and hard to produce an image more sexy than Reiko painting a wall.