Lycoris Recoil
Short Synopsis: Secret Government agency recruits orphan girls to provide public security – wait a second, I’ve seen this somewhere before…
Amun: Alright, alright. Let me get my complaints out of the way first. Yes, this looks like a poor man’s Gunslinger Girl with a smaller cast. Now that I think about it…that’s actually a compliment. There was a lot of good in this episode – I think the main duo has good chemistry, the world is pretty interesting, and the action looks good (not great, but good). I also like the twin views of “kill everyone” vs. “win with no casualties” – there’s an additional level of levity that comes from not having a massive body count. I’m also a fan of “the greater good” vs. “help the individual” – GSG had that domestic angle apply to the girls themselves, but it looks like Lycoris Recoil will use bystanders and side characters. I’d also like to point out that someone in the production committee does know their firearms (but a 700’ handgun shot at a drone at night has like 0% chance of working – though props for telling her to remove the silencer). Undoubtedly, the conflict will get larger with higher stakes, but for now Lycoris Recoil is just some goofy assassins in maid costumes. I feel pretty good about this.
Potential: 75%
Mario: The pre-credit sequence of Lycoris Recoil is probably my favorite pre-credit scene in recent years. As we listen to the sweet narration, what happens on-screen is so far-removed from what we hear that it immediately establishes the tone and themes of the series. The rest of the episode doesn’t rise above that moment, but there’s still tons of highlights. As a recipient for CGDCT shows, I am happy to report that so far Lycoris Recoil more than satisfies me, and then some. The characters are a delight so far, as they bounce off each other well, and the duo’s different approaches to their jobs open up plenty of room to grow. The world it’s built so far is equally fascinating as well. The secret agency they are working so far is neither painted as good or bad, and there’s some implications that we learn more about its deep-rooted secrets in later episodes. The image of the falling tower – and its now-symbolic icon – lures in the background but obviously will play a much bigger role in the future. And although the show has more than enough hints that it will go much darker in the future, so far I am also on board with these girls just… taking low time, running a cafe and delivering happiness to their neighborhood. A pretty confident start for Lycoris Recoil.
Potential: 70%
Teppen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Short Synopsis: Five manzai comedy trios live in a free dormitory on the condition that they give favorable performances.
Lenlo: If I’m being honest, my biggest issue with Teppen isn’t its standard production, questionable comedy or stereotyped cast, but rather with just how many cast members it has. In the span of 12 minutes we got introduced to 15 girls, plus one macho manager. This is a one-cour show right? Are we expected to know, or care, about any of these girls? I don’t think so. And that just tells me right from the start what kind of show Teppen is going to be: Comedy idols. Now on the up side, that’s not terrible. I’ll take that over CGI song and dance any day. And the comedy wasn’t the worst. The Manzai style, fast talking, play-by-play, misunderstandings etc, is infinitely more entertaining than the regular anime slapstick bullshit. I actually chuckled a few times throughout the episode! But without any substance behind the comedy, any care in the characters, I just don’t think this will be for me. If you want some fun popcorn with 15 different characters from which to pick your favorite though, this might be up your alley.
Potential: 15%
Wooper: As an American ignoramus, one of my “issues” with Japanese comedy is that it often treats its punchlines as secondary to the reactions they elicit. This pattern is perhaps best exemplified by the manzai genre, so an anime revolving around that style of comedy will have a hard time winning me over, but Teppen did a decent job of it here. The show is structured a bit like Hypnosis Mic from a couple years back, featuring multiple character trios but putting most of its focus on just one of them each week. That trio begins each episode with a stage performance which gives way to flashbacks and side stories, and at the end we cut back to the girls on stage, implying that everything we’ve just seen has been part of their manzai routine. I can’t think of a better format for this subject matter, so the show earns props for that, plus some bonus points for the “if you bomb on stage, you’re out of the competition” conceit. I doubt we’re meant to take this consequence seriously, but the illusion of stakes is all a show like this really needs. As for the jokes in the premiere itself, I sort of liked the bit about the girls scrambling to fix their dorm supervisor’s beheaded bodybuilding trophy, and the implication that one of the residents is an alien was amusing (it’ll almost certainly become a long-running gag). I’m a little concerned about Teppen’s animation going forward, as the scenes from the next episode preview looked outsourced, but if you’re a fan of cute girls doing comedic things, don’t let that stop you from giving the show a look.
Potential: 20%
Ongakutai Witches
Short Synopsis: Soldiers protect the country, teenage girls with propeller legs and microphones protect their smiles, the true battlefield of World War 2.
Mario: I went into this completely blind so I wasn’t expecting the Strike Witches connection – a franchise about cute girls fighting in army uniforms with jet packs attached to their feet. But for my money knowing that it’s a Strike Witches spin-off actually makes this episode better given how it spins away from the battle and focuses on music and the girls who aren’t so good at fighting. The problem with Ongakutai Witches is that I don’t really care much about any of these girls at this point. They are your usual stock characters with one significant trait (and the fact that the show introduces them with these only traits). And the second reason why I won’t go back for this is entirely not its issue – it’s airing right after another “Magical girls singing to heal others” show in Healer Girl, which I found more original in every way. For fans of Strike Witches and idol shows, this show does about enough to satisfy both, but others might approach it with caution.
Potential: 20%
Lenlo: Alright so let me get this straight: Ongakutai Witches is about… World War 2 era teenage witch idols with propellers on their legs… What? Anime is weird man. And not the good kind of weird, like Jojo or Tatami Galaxy. More the kind where I am wondering what the point of the show is. It’s clearly not trying to be an actual war drama, these are pre-teen singing idol child soldiers who will save the world with the power of music. Nor is it to be an actual idol show, since there’s no actual like… band or show here. Its just going to be girls singing over battlefields to “protect their smiles” or whatever. Maybe you can find something wholesome and cute if you squint really hard? But personally, there’s no reason to watch this show. If you want an Idol show then you have your pick of the litter this season, especially with stuff like Love Live getting a second season. And if you want a war drama well… Go watch something other than anime I guess.
Potential: 0%
