2019 Fall Premiere Digest
Fall rolled out a buffet table full of new shows, some that wowed us and some, uh… not so much. Now that we’ve finished our premiere reviews, let’s take a look at the season’s full menu.
Reviews Category
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Chidori RSC – Episode 1
Chidori RSC is an extremely low-tension series, even for the “cute girls doing cute things” genre.
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Case File nº221: Kabukicho – Episode 1
Bizarre and wild and unpredictable, with glossy animation and style to spare… all steeped, unfortunately, in absolutely hideous levels of queerphobia.
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Stars Align – Episode 1
Stars Align already looks to be the best series of the season. Just… try to have something bright and happy ready to go after you finish, okay?
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Stand My Heroes: Piece of Truth – Episode 1
In the ‘70s and ‘80s in the US, there were laws against a TV show being a glorified toy commercial. Maybe it’s time to bring that rule to anime, because I’m tired of spending my time being sold a product I don’t want.
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Phantasy Star Online 2: Episode Oracle – Episode 1
The PSO2 game has a decent amount of acclaim, but this episode came across as so much fantasy/sci-fi mush, full of concepts that have been done before and more distinctively, blended together until all of the flavors merge into one big nothing.
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Blade of the Immortal – Episode 1
Even with the glossy new coat of paint, this is still unmistakably a gritty ’90s story.
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Assassins Pride – Episode 1
Whereas it could have gone for a more contrived story of a princess waiting to awaken the secret powers within her, Assassins Pride hints this will be more a political cloak-and-dagger tale with elements of combat and fantasy.
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Africa Salaryman – Episode 1
The rule of thumb in comedy is to never punch down. Unfortunately, Africa Salaryman tries to punch sideways but often ends up misfiring and punching down instead.
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NO GUNS LIFE – Episode 1
While the writing could stand to take itself a little less seriously, this is a surprisingly good throwback to 2000s-era mashups of noir and cyberpunk.
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Fate/Grand Order – Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia – Episode 1
If I were coming into Babylonia completely fresh, I don’t know if I’d want to continue after this. But I do, because I want to see a different side to Gilgamesh.
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Z/X Code reunion – Episode 1
You ever watch something and then thirty minutes later realize you’ve forgotten almost everything about it? That’s where I am with Z/X Code reunion right now.
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Kandagawa Jet Girls – Episode 1
Pack it in, folks. Nothing this season is gonna be hornier than this one.
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Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life? – Episode 1
Don’t worry, Mile. Your series achieved what you could not: it averages out its charming elements with some of anime’s laziest fallback jokes to reach a grand total of “basically okay.”
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Babylon – Episode 1
This might be the best premiere of the season: a tense, slow-burn legal drama that viciously punctuates its own simmering tension in the final moments.
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Outburst Dreamer Boys – Episode 1
You know when you spend an entire first episode smiling and laughing out loud, you have a winner.
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Special 7: Special Crime Investigation Unit – Episode 1
Do you like supernatural cop shows? Then congratulations! You’ll enjoy this entertaining and competently made premiere!
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Actors: Songs Connection – Episode 1
If you’re into male idol series, this is not offensively bad.
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Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun – Episode 1
A shounen series seemingly aimed toward the same middle-grade sort of audience as Little Witch Academia, Iruma-kun feels perfect as a bit of fall sweetness.
