China-inspired fantasies have seen a resurgence in shoujo/josei fiction as of late, although this is the first one to get a recent adaptation. If this marks the beginning of a new anime trend, then it’s off to a strong start.
Bee and PuppyCat asks “What would a magical girl series look like if the ‘girl’ was a directionless young adult who needed to pay her bills?” and finds its answer in a deliciously strange premise built around temp work, alien otherworlds, and a grumpy talking (sort of) cat (sort of).
Despite its fantastical shoujo setting, The Story of Saiunkoku is no traditional fairy tale, and the sexist hurdles Shurei faces to achieve her dream of becoming a civil servant are much closer to unjust reality than escapist fiction. This allows the series to explore systemic oppression, workplace harassment, and the importance of structural support, especially in systems that claim to be merit-based.
Spy x Family is a fun romp with a warm heart; endearing, tense, and silly in equal measures. Hopefully the anime can continue to draw out the manga’s charms to create a satisfying adaptation
that will satisfy current and new fans alike.
This premiere is repetitive fluff after the first five minutes, which means that instead of taking plot notes I started overthinking the implications of a show about a depressed, overworked woman whose life is given meaning by the sudden appearance of an idealized toddler. Womp womp.
I suspect this found-family, food/music hybrid show will fly under the radar, but I hope it doesn’t, because there’s a whole lot to like in this first episode.
Ping-ponging between “trash boy comedy” and “bitter boy dramedy,” Quitter Hero really doesn’t seem to know what kind of show it wants to be.
A diverse but overstuffed cast and slightly stiff production combine to form a Crunchyroll Original that isn’t terrible, but likely won’t turn many heads either.
Okay, post-apocalyptic dystopian action series featuring giant mushrooms and rust plague. You have my attention.
In a thus-far pretty dire winter season, I’m thrilled to say that Sasaki and Miyano’s premiere is a sweetly sincere young adult rom-com with likable characters and basically zero caveats. Isn’t it nice to have an easy add to the watchlist sometimes?
Set in 1900 England and steeped in references to both the history and literature of the Victorian era, Goodbye, My Rose Garden draws on turn-of-the-century reality and fantasy alike to highlight the intersectional struggles of queer women of the period.
Does a bromance await Fiction’s Greatest Detective and Greatest Thief? Is Watson still out there hoping his beau will save him? Is Zenigata going to get, like, supes jealous about this new inspector honing in on his man? Stay tuned to this season’s most stylish fanfic to find out!
Inside Taisho Otome Fairy Tale there are two rom-com wolves.
Weaving the many threads of the classic Japanese epic Heike Monogatari into a compelling, cohesive adaptation will be a challenging task, but this premiere is off to an impressive start.
Oh neat, a complex and melancholy anti-war spec-fic series with a messy approach to social commentary and diversity metaphors. And here I was worried that all my reviews were going to be easy this season!
This is a stylish adaptation of an equally stylish game, but the narrative will need to slow down its breakneck pacing if it wants to garner an audience outside of the existing TWEWY fanbase.
One episode isn’t nearly enough time to call this shot, but I’m calling it anyway: Farewell, My Dear Cramer is going to be the lady-led sports anime I’ve dreamed about for years.
If you were expecting this to be “A.I.dol,” you might be a bit disappointed by this premiere. Vivy barely sings at all. She’s way too busy saving politicians from assassination attempts and trying to change the future. It’s a busy first episode.
While fans of SSSS.GRIDMAN will immediately recognize the director/writer duo’s signature style, this premiere is perfectly friendly (and perfectly gorgeous-looking) for newcomers to the Gridverse.
What are your thoughts on alternate histories? Historical fantasies? How about umbrella crossbows, organ-playing snakemen, and mahou murder girls?
