What we have here is a show I very much want to like: a high concept sci-fi story about first contact with the potential for a uniquely interesting protagonist. Unfortunately, this show is already setting itself up in a worrying pattern.
This premise is actually really intriguing. But the monologues. The monologues.
Armed Girls Machiavellism has misogyny baked into both premise and execution, and it soon becomes truly offensive.
On top of a pretty solid foundation, Sakura Quest is also a fresh take on a princess story.
We look to have a cast of A+ trash boys on our hands.
There are several moments that are pretty unpleasant, but frankly, if any AniFem readers make it past the changing room scene I suspect it’ll be for morbid curiosity and/or snarky tweets alone.
AniFem readers: this is probably not one for you.
It’s visually interesting but heartless, and I’m not sure who will love it.
The most important thing to understand about Alice & Zoroku is that it is two different shows, and the success with which it combines the two is debatable.
These two episodes are action packed, with just enough exposition to be intriguing and a decently balanced mix of gender and power dynamics. I look forward to the next one already.
We’d been talking internally about our feminist recommendations of 2016, and some of the team wanted to go into a bit more detail on some of their favorites.
I have never found a season as disheartening as this one.
This series is dark, both literally and in subject matter, and there is little reprieve until the very end.
This was an unexpected pleasure, a great example of aiming to do something simple and doing it well.
Scum’s Wish is a story of complicated love and sexuality, particularly the sexuality of young women, and the connections between sexuality, desirability and power in the world.
I really, really enjoyed this show. It was headed straight for my top three of the season – until I hit one scene, which is so problematic I need to break it down in detail.
The Hand Shakers story is all scaffolding to prop up the premise: a teenage boy must keep hold of a pretty young girl’s hand at all times. At all times.
My reaction at the end of this episode was “I have no idea what it’s about, but I like it!”
On the one hand, women not feeling the need to conform to social expectations of femininity is a good thing! On the other hand, when trash characters reject gender restrictions they also reject politeness, compassion, and decency.
It’s worth another episode, if you like the premise and can make it past Fanservice-sensei.
