This is a beautiful action premiere that sets the stage for its conspiracy plot and the oddball team-up of its leads, and I will absolutely watch at least two more episodes. That said, I still have to put on my Feminist Killjoy Hat for a few minutes and talk about fantasy oppression metaphors.
While the series wants to tell a story about individuals overcoming their trauma and inner darkness, its strength at depicting individual growth often conflicts with the conservative social systems it ultimately upholds.
Appare-Ranman’s gleeful steampunk weirdness, with its Wacky Races car designs and the “well, that escalated quickly” action scenes, feels similar to the lighter episodes of Trigun. More than just about any premiere this season, this show is goofy, bouncy fun.
There’s potential the show could develop in the future, but right now it earns a resounding grade of “fine.”
Wow, two mediocre mobile game adaptations in as many days.
Whether or not we needed a reboot with the original cast, it’s here now. And the good news is that this is an exceptionally promising start.
I have a certain soft spot for ridiculous gorefests with over-inflated estimations of their philosophies. Gleipnir, unfortunately, also comes right out of the gate smelling of the genre’s most sour opinions on women.
The biggest problem with Shachibato is that, while it doesn’t do anything egregiously wrong, it doesn’t do anything especially right, either.
Did you like Pop Team Epic? I hope so. Otherwise you’re gonna have a bad time with Aoki Jun’s latest multimedia mashup.
While I wouldn’t count on this being a very deep series given that baseball requires a nine-person team and this is only a single-cour show, this has the makings of a perfectly serviceable mid-tier sports anime.
“Goddammit,” I thought, as I reached for my Feminist Killjoy hat.
I’m decidedly side-eyeing this one, but I am contractually obligated by my own brain to give any queer-leaning and non-pedophilic anime at least three episodes to prove itself.
If nice-looking, quiet episodic stories are your thing, this has the makings of a better-than-average example.
MMO meets iyashikei in a laid-back premiere that’s profoundly fine.
An escapee from the edgelord days of 2005.
The rest of the winter season is going to have to work hard to keep up with this one.
A sci-fi detective thriller that’s a touch derivative, but stylish and restrained enough to check out if you’re a fan of the genre.
Don’t let the unwieldy title fool you; this one is welcoming both to returning fans and new viewers alike.
Hey, I get to review a Doga Kobo series that doesn’t make me want to dig out my eyeballs out with a headphone jack!
Even with the glossy new coat of paint, this is still unmistakably a gritty ’90s story.
