I think there might be a funny, clever little magical girl show buried in this premiere. I’m not sure, though—I’m still recovering from the episode’s decision to strip its protagonist naked for the third act, blinding me with shiny, shiny moeblob flesh.
‘Scuse me while I bust out the biscuits, ’cause this premiere was 100% my jam.
A whole mess of premieres, new manga artists, and Aokigahara.
John Leigh, a showrunner for Anime Matsuri—the second largest anime convention in North America—is digging up his own accusations by attempting to silence a vlogger who talked about them. It’s a bad look at any time, but especially during the #MeToo era. It’s also an unusual choice considering this scandal was all but forgotten.
Takagi-san is the most “okay” premiere I’ve seen all season. It is utterly harmless. It is profoundly fine. And I have been staring at this stupid post for 15 minutes now trying to think of something else to say about it.
The Ryuo’s Work is Never Done! genuinely loves shogi. And sexualizing children. Reeeeally don’t want to overlook that second part.
Well, this is a premiere that hits the ground running. By the end of the episode there’s been a kidnapping, a ransom demand, and not one but two pretty brutal fight scenes. Also monsters or spirits are somehow involved, but apparently that’s a kettle of fish for a whole ‘nother episode.
I approached School Babysitters with some trepidation—could it nail the chaos of a daycare? The answer, it turns out, is a resounding YES.
I finished Mitsuboshi Colors with a deep sigh of a relief and a cry of “Oh THANK GOD it isn’t lolicon!” Based on this premiere, Mitsuboshi Colors is more-or-less a family-friendly show, albeit one with a saucy streak.
There’s a reason the most iconic image from this series is of the two girls gleefully flipping off the readers.
Give me a minute to strap in, because I feel like I’m wading into a pit of snakes with this one.
I would like to state for the record that this is the first premiere of the season to leave me feeling slightly unclean afterward, as if I had seen someone’s fetish without asking. And the last show I reviewed was DEVILMAN Crybaby.
Sanrio Boys is a shameless toy commercial about cute-boys blatantly targeted at (straight teen girls). It is also, somehow, despite all these obvious marketing calculations, packed with feminist themes and charming as all get-out.
Devilman Crybaby is not for everyone. It’s got a list of content warnings as long as my arm. That said, I’ll definitely be bingeing the rest—they had me at “body horror.”
I’m going to state it outright: my opinion of Record of Grancrest War will live or die on Siluca’s role in the plot.
Junji Ito’s talent for disturbing atmosphere and slow burns has rightfully cemented his status as a household name. The downside is that it means this adaptation comes with enormous expectations, and it’s arguably impossible to live up to what everyone wants. Still, I think this one is off to a pretty good start.
Katana Maidens is in a hurry to get you on board. To that end, it’s willing to throw as many things at the wall as possible in the name of finding something that sticks.
This premiere was the anime equivalent of sipping tea under a fuzzy blanket. It cured my headache and dropped my blood pressure 10 points. I wouldn’t be surprised if my doctor starts prescribing it to me.
Are you into food porn shows? I hope so, because otherwise Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles doesn’t really have anything for you. I say that with a certain level of respect, mind: like its titular character, this is a gag show with a focus, and it dedicates itself to diving deep into its subject matter.
