The Faraway Paladin – Episode 1
This premiere isn’t keen to rush into the heart of the action and show Will being a cool badass holy warrior. It’s content to draw us in slowly, focusing on the relationship between Will and his undead guardians.
Posts by Alex Henderson
-
-
PuraOre! ~Pride of Orange~ – Episode 1
It’s the job of a hobby anime’s premiere (and this is listed as “slice-of-life” rather than sports, at least on Funimation) to show the protagonists getting hooked into the hobby in question. To throw the heroines into something new and to show that initial spark of interest, so the audience is inspired to join them week by week on their journey. But this first episode of PuraOre! just doesn’t have the emotional weight to pull this crucial work off.
-
Banished From the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside – Episode 1
A slow life show set in a fantasy world runs a dual risk: being too slow, and being a bad fantasy.
-
Mieruko-chan – Episode 1
I’d assumed Mieruko-chan would be much more straightforwardly a zany comedy, juxtaposing the terrifying creatures of the beyond against Miko’s disinterest in engaging with them. But the pacing of this entire episode, and each individual apparition, leans way more on the horror aspect of this horror-comedy.
-
Waccha PriMagi! – Episode 1
Technically, the general rule at AniFem is that we don’t cover children’s programming, but if we can make an exception for dear ol’ PreCure I figure I may as well shine a spotlight on PriMagi and see what’s going on over there, too. If you’re hungry for more officially-licensed all-ages magical girl content, you might want to join me in the audience.
-
Fena: Pirate Princess – Episode 1
Fena has the potential to be a really fun action-adventure protagonist in a really fun action-adventure show. Fingers crossed she retains her agency and gets to really grow and shine across whatever zany treasure hunt she’s about to embark upon.
-
Convenient Monsters: The problem with Frill and Wonder Egg Priority’s take on trauma
Just as the dreamscape Wonder Killers provide a convenient and killable representation of the issues that harm young people, the writers of the show invent a convenient “monster” and pin the blame for those very issues on her. As a result, a lot of the nuance in the series’ treatment of trauma and suicide is lost.
-
The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated! – Episode 1
Give this child-shaped demon some pants!
-
The Idaten Deities Know Only Peace – Episode 1
While it has great style, there are a few key things that block Idaten Deities from being truly enjoyable.
-
The Aquatope on White Sand – Episode 1
The Aquatope on White Sand was my most-anticipated premiere this season, and it did not disappoint.
-
Drug Store in Another World: The Slow Life of a Cheat Pharmacist – Episode 1
For a show with “slow life” in the title, I was expecting a premiere with much more chill.
-
Godzilla Singular Point – Episode 1
Godzilla, the legendary cinematic kaiju, has stomped his way onto Netflix in a brand new incarnation co-produced by studios Bones and Orange.
-
Genderless Gemstones: The pros and cons of Land of the Lustrous as non-binary representation
In the discussion surrounding queer representation in fiction, things are not always so simple as stamping a work with “good rep” or “bad rep”. While the series is not perfect—or perhaps because the series is not perfect—Land of the Lustrous makes a useful case study for reading and critiquing through a queer lens.
-
I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level – Episode 1
After literally working herself to death in an office, Azusa takes her new slow existence in stride, and is understandably distraught when challengers start appearing at her door threatening to turn her life into an action-adventure game when she’s content playing a farming simulator.
-
The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent – Episode 1
Saint’s Magic Power, with a listless twenty-something as its heroine, represents a different kind of power fantasy, but it’s a fantasy nonetheless: the power fantasy of getting a job without qualifications or a complicated interview process, of having a “knack” for a new skill and picking it up quickly, and not having to tie your hair back when you do lab work.
-
Let’s Make a Mug Too – Episode 1
Do I want to explore tree-lined old streets looking at antiques now? Maybe. Mostly, though, I want to talk about the unexpected emotional undercurrents that I think will really elevate this cute little hobby show.
-
Dragon Goes House Hunting – Episode 1
In a market so saturated with Generic European Fantasy Adventures that it’s practically dripping, it’s nice to see new series that really try to go niche and plumb the depths of more mundane, less-explored aspects of these settings. In this case, I’m very much looking forward to seeing the ins and outs of the fantasy real estate market.
-
Tropical Rouge! Precure – Episode 1
Tropical Rouge is the latest in a long line of Precure series, and in this first episode it’s plain to see the tried-and-trusted formula clicking into place and why that formula works so well.
-
High-Rise Invasion – Episode 1
If schlocky action and gritty murder games are your deal, you might find yourself at home with High-Rise Invasion. However, I’m sure there are many fight-for-survival sci-fis that play with similar ideas with better execution and fewer peeks at the teenaged protagonist’s undies.
-
D4DJ First Mix – Episode 1
D4DJ is like a swig of energy drink. It’s fun, colorful, high-octane, and I can already tell I’m going to have Rinku’s beloved dance track stuck in my head for the whole weekend.
