New Year’s Day is a bit of a sad holiday for many of us—Christmas is over and the promise of a new year isn’t always that hopeful. Well, one thing that’ll surely help the malaise if you’re feeling it is new anime—and lots of it! The winter 2025 anime season begins in earnest right as 2024 ends and the new year begins, and let me tell you—it is full of highly-anticipated returning anime and potentially great new ones as well!
As the new shows premiere, we’ll be writing short “first impression” reviews of them on our blog and then adding bits from those fuller articles to this one; as usual, you can read the entire review by clicking on the “Read More” links below, with this master post giving you just a brief glimpse at our impressions, as well as screencaps, streaming links, and thoughts by our other writers.
So what are you looking forward to this season? The return of huge series like Solo Leveling, Dr. Stone, and The Apothecary Diaries? The big shonen manga hit, Sakamoto Days, hitting the anime airwaves? Romance like I’m Getting Married to a Girl I Hate in My Class, I Have a Crush at Work, or the returning series, My Happy Marriage and Unnamed Memory? Light novel adaptions, perhaps, like those for Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! and Possibly the Greatest Alchemist of All Time? How about adaptations of some of the series we’ve enjoyed in their original form, like Honey Lemon Soda, I May Be a Guild Receptionist, but I’ll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time or Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms? Or are you deep in the anime fandom and excited to see Ubel Blatt, Fate/strange Fake, or season two of Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun?
Whatever you’re looking forward to, we’ve got you covered! Keep coming back here to see our thoughts! And let us know in the comments what series you’re anticipating this season!
Happy viewing!
The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really REALLY Love You! (Season 2) • Ameku M.D.: Doctor Detective • Anyway I’m Falling in Love with You • The Apothecary Diaries, Season 2 • Aquarion: Myth of Emotion • Ave Mujica – The Die is Cast – • Babanbabanban Vampire • Bogus Skill <> ~About that time I became able to eat unlimited numbers of Skill Fruits (that kill you)~ • The Daily Life of a Middle-Aged Online Shopper in Another World • Dr. Stone: Science Future • Even Given the Worthless “Appraiser” Class, I’m Actually the Strongest • Farmagia • Fate strange Fake • Flower and Asura • From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad’s Been Reincarnated! • Headhunted to Another World: From Salaryman to Big Four! • Honey Lemon Soda • I Left my A-Rank Party to Help My Former Students Reach the Dungeon Depths! • I May Be a Guild Receptionist, But I’ll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time • I Want to Escape from Princess Lessons • I’m a Noble on the Brink of Ruin, So I Might as Well Try Mastering Magic • I’m Getting Married to a Girl I Hate in My Class • I’m Living With an Otaku NEET Kunoichi!? • Magic Maker: How to Make Magic in Another World • Medaka Kuroiwa Is Impervious To My Charms • Medalist • Momentary Lily • My Happy Marriage • Okitsura: Fell in Love with an Okinawan Girl, but I Just Wish I Know What She’s Saying • Possibly the Greatest Alchemist of All Time • Promise of Wizard • The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World • Sakamoto Days • Solo Leveling Season 2: Arise from the Shadow • Sorairo Utility (TV) • Tasokare Hotel • Übel Blatt • Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! • Yu-Gi-Oh! Go Rush!! • Zenshu
The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really REALLY Love You! (Season 2)
First Impression: Josh
I can’t even lie guys…I laughed at this one, and a rule I have is that if you make me laugh, you have my attention, at least for a short while. The fact that this show embraces its completely bonkers premise and approaches it with a lot of heart and endearing (if a little trope-filled) characters and tells the audience “Turn your brain off and just have a good time,” makes me respect it in some weird way. If you are interested in watching a high school boy collect girlfriends like Ash Ketchum gets Pokémon, then you should check this one out. If nothing else, you’ll get a good laugh out of just how absurd it is. And considering all that’s going on in the world, in the words of a famous chocolate maker “A little nonsense now and then is cherished by the wisest man.”
stardf29
There’s a reason why this show has succeeded where many other harems have failed. First, it knows what its audience wants, and delivers a harem with none of the annoying drama. Second, it is absolutely hilarious and over-the-top. From fourth-wall breaks to copyright infringements on top of an already silly body-swap incident, this show made me laugh too and like Josh, that gets my attention. (Also, having read the manga through this point: y’all are not ready for the eating contest in the next episode.) Finally, the show features a male lead who deeply loves his girlfriends and will go out of his way to show his love for them. With so many wishy-washy male leads in other stories of its ilk, it’s no wonder that fans have latched on to Rentaro as “best boy”. And with this episode’s new girl, we see once again how Rentaro makes every effort to care for her. All this makes for an excellent start to what promises to be another crazy ride, and I am all onboard for it.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Ameku M.D.: Doctor Detective
First Impression: Josh
…if you’re a fan of detective stories, then this one will be right up your alley…but don’t go into it thinking this is going to be something new. The setting may have changed, but the characters and tropes that plague most detective anime are still the same. That said, I don’t think I’m willing to write it off just yet. I’m always interested whenever an anime focuses on medicine in Japan, and the characters, stereotypical though they may be, are intriguing enough, so I might give this one another episode or two. This show has a pulse, boys and girls, but only time will tell if there will be meaningful recovery, or if it’ll eventually go flatline.
claire
Dr. Sherlock? Yeah, why not! I found this double header of a premiere pretty enjoyable! As an OG fan of House M.D., I appreciate how this one scratches an itch that’s been neglected for a dozen years—so I was feeling all nostalgic as I found myself watching some super smort people solving a riddle I never could while learning a few medical facts again. Fun times! I am also intrigued by how quickly we’re introduced to the Doc’s Achilles heel in the form of her older sister. While Ameku seems to have everyone wrapped around her Doogie Howser-like little finger, she falls apart at the sight of Nee-chan. Wonder what the backstory is there? The hints about her various hobbies (and obsessions)—ranging from dinosaurs to piano to reading actual books (one of which is simply titled, Awesome)—are also interesting. There’s enough here to keep me coming back for a few more weeks at least!
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Anyway I’m Falling in Love with You
First Impression: Jeskai
The harem here is totally forgettable—except for Kizuki, who I wanted to punch because it’s creepy how aggressively he pursues Mizuho despite her lack of interest. I don’t have any experience with romantic relationships, but I feel like it’s common sense that pinning a girl to the wall and kissing her moments after she explicitly says she’s not interested in you is Wrong. Mizuho can’t save the show, because she doesn’t have much of a personality herself. I was bored throughout the episode. Also, it’s 2025 and we’re still using those flat, undetailed, colorless silhouettes for background figures instead of properly illustrating them all? Feels lazy, bro. Anyway, I’m NOT falling in love with this anime, and I can’t think of any reason for anyone else to watch it.
Josh
Much like Koushiro “Izzy” Izumi in Digimon Adventure, my curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to check this one out. In the beginning, I was pretty interested. An anime involving a group of childhood friends has loads of potential to be good, and a reverse harem does add a twist to the shenanigans. However, the narrative of this story does leave me confused. In the beginning, they establish the tie-in between the 2030 Mizuho vs the one from 10 years ago; lousy stuff happening on their birthday. But after that, it just seems off. In an anime like this, for the first episode, we really should be learning who these characters are, why we should care for them, and we should see the beginning buds of romantic feelings develop over time. What happens instead is that we’ve just dropped right into the middle of a situation thanks to a flashback that just barely relates to the real-time plot. This doesn’t make any sense to me. And yes, as Jesaki said, pinning a girl to a wall and saying “Yeah, you don’t love me now, but you WILL” while kissing her without consent is NOT the proper way to confess your feelings to ANYONE, and it’s also illegal in several states! I would give this one a full-on pass, but as I mentioned earlier, my curiosity is getting the better of me, so I’m gonna check out the next episode to see if this show will course correct or just careen off the cliff. Also, glasses don’t break like that unless they’re made of glass!
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
The Apothecary Diaries, Season 2
First Impression: Jeskai
While this episode was focused on lighthearted matters, there were several hints of mystery and intrigue, and I fully expect that we’ll have full-blown major crimes any minute now. This episode also has the likable, quirky characters we came to love in the show’s first season, Maomao and Jinshi most especially. Part of what appeals to me about the cast is that Maomao isn’t the only smart one; other characters like Jinshi and Gyokuyou can be sharp cookies too. Anyway, my recommendation here is the usual for non-first anime seasons: if you haven’t seen the first season, go watch it! This series is a lot of fun, and I heartily recommend both it and the light novels.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Aquarion: Myth of Emotions
First Impression: Gaheret
Like the Cook in Alice in Wonderland, the show throws every ingredient and tool in the kitchen at you. It then becomes an Evangelion-esque story featuring three boys with distinct personalities, a Schrödinger girl who might be dead, alive, or somewhere in between, and battles against gigantic cell beings that presumably will help the boys get back the missing heart pieces and return to the creation myth state. So, is it interesting? Somewhat. I think I could get invested in the story of the three chibi kids if it slows down a little, but I’m not a fan of the pulpy-looking glimpses of the “wings” world: the clash in styles is quite jarring, and the 3D fights could be improved.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Ave Mujica – The Die is Cast –
First Impression: Twwk
The opening episode of Ave Mujica, named for and based on the BanG Dream! band and a spin-off (and prequel of sorts) of BanG Dream! It’s MyGO!!!!!, is fast-moving and confusing for new entrants to the franchise like myself—but it’s absolutely worth catching up to. I am absolutely floored by how much emotion I felt in this opening episode, which focused on Saki’s backstory. As we see the tragedy she endures and all the stress in her life, our hearts go out to the hard-working and kind girl, and though Nyamu is cast as a villain in this episode, I’m convinced that her story and the others will also be moving. The human element is what draws me to this series. It’s surprisingly dramatic, featuring just the opening song and a few cutesy and humorous elements in between (though I’m sure more of those are to come).
claire
I’m fully with Twwk on this one! I’m brand spanking new to the franchise, so couldn’t follow all the ins and outs (and cameos and side characters), BUT I was legit surprised at how enjoyable a ride this episode was! Melodrama up to the high heavens! The lead is oozing in pathos! All the emotions were felt! And I must say, the CG was better than a lot of what’s out there and didn’t pose a stumbling block for my immersion in the do-rama and music. The aesthetics for the band and the episode in general are pretty cool too. I’ll be tuning in again to see what this franchise is all about.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Babanbabanban Vampire
First Impression: claire
Yikes, that was worse than I feared! I expected some heavy-handed romanticization and scenes of sexual tension from this BL set in a bathhouse and centering on vampires, but I did not see this unabashed “comedic” treatment of pedophilia coming. The lingering shots of Mori’s tented pants were also rather surprising, as well as the subtitles’ use of the f-word. Most disturbing of all though is Mori’s repeated clarification that he does not care in the least for the boy, he just wants to satisfy his (blood and other kinds of) lust on him; he only wants his body and blood. Maybe all this blunt sexual commodification of a minor is meant to be the starting point for a profound character arc for Mori, but somehow, I doubt it.
Streaming on Netflix.
Bogus Skill <> ~About that time I became able to eat unlimited numbers of Skill Fruits (that kill you)~
First Impression: Twwk
Some viewers enjoy grimdark fantasy anime; then there’s me, who’s come to really enjoy series that feature a lot of action but are generally light-hearted and optimistic in nature. And that’s exactly the vibe that Bogus Skill “Fruitmaster” gives off. There are hints of sinister goings-on with evil-grinning characters in the OP (which has an addictive beat, by the way!) and the laser-eyed and perhaps not-so-Holy Sister, and of character conflict due to a final scene involving Lena and Light, but even these bits and pieces seem to be setting the stage for a mild series that will focus more on character relationships (see Light, Lena, and Ayla happily running together throughout both the OP and ED) and not-terrifically-brutal action. A recent comp for this series might be The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic—it has a similarly positive and action-packed feel. And if Bogus Skill “Fruitmaster” can match the fun and warmth of that series, it could be a positive surprise this winter season!
stardf29
A general rule of thumb for me is that any show becomes 20% better when the protagonist has to take care of a cute kid. For some shows, this elevates a good show into “personal favorite” status. For other shows, like this one, it raises my interest level from “not watching” to “still probably not watching because of lack of time but I might check out more at some point”. Indeed, without Ayla this show would have gone straight into the “generic fantasy” bin, but with her and the OP’s suggestion that she, Lena, and Light will become a happy little family, I might just watch a bit more of it.
Jeskai
Huh. This one was better than I expected. From the description, it seemed like just a generic power fantasy, but it actually brought some real cuteness and heart. Enough that for now, at least, I’ll keep watching.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
The Daily Life of a Middle-Aged Online Shopper in Another World
First Impression: Michel
Now, this anime definitely tries something different, but the execution feels a bit clumsy. Instead of half an episode of his previous life, we skip through this formality in the form of a montage with a 2001: A Space Odyssey-style soundtrack playing. I like my classic movie references, but here it doesn’t make any sense. The rest of the episode added to my confusion in a different way. In a scene in the first half, the lady who teaches him to read wants to “repay” him for the candy and drawing he gives her, but she doesn’t want to do so with money. It’s heavily implied he doesn’t refuse her offer that night, but throughout all this there isn’t any visual fanservice, and neither is there any in the rest of the episode. Personally, I prefer it that way, but it’s a bit strange for an ecchi harem anime to hold back like that.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Dr. Stone: Science Future
First Impression: Josh
Well plain and simple, if you’ve ridden with the crew for this long, you owe it to yourself to see it through! Trust me, when certain characters get introduced, and when certain events and revelations come to light, you will NOT be disappointed. This voyage to America is gonna be shot through with excellent stories, prodigious character development, and new characters that will make the entire journey so enjoyable you just can’t help but…GET EXCITED.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Even Given the Worthless “Appraiser” Class, I’m Actually the Strongest
First Impression: Gaheret
Given the uninspired title and the promotional material (eight girls surround the protagonist, mind you), I thought I’d sleepwalk through this premiere. But above-average art direction, soundtrack, and editing, as well as some smart narrative choices, have turned this uber-generic premise into something quite intriguing. This is not an isekai, it is fantasy, and there is something very real in how our protagonist has internalized the abuse he suffers, Grimgar-style. When the Goddess of Light (I presume?) heals Ein, whom she has clearly fallen for, he cannot see or hear her. When the sorcerer girl with glasses saves “the strongest” as his eye and his face are brutally destroyed a là Re:Zero, she appears and disappears after a few lines. The missing eye is not healed, but replaced. The world, the powers, the girls, everything feels otherworldly and mysterious. Will the show be able to keep this up, or will it turn generic after all?
Jeskai
Interesting. I agree with Gaheret’s comparison to Re:Zero. It is a bit on the dark and gory side, which may end up driving me away eventually. But for now, there’s an appealing sense of mystery, and Ein is sympathetic enough that I want to see him go from downtrodden and lonely to strong and surrounded by allies.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Farmagia
First Impression: claire
First off, who is this even for? It starts out basically like a children’s cartoon with loud, OTT genki boys shouting catchphrases at the top of their lungs as they pummel each other affectionately and weird little creatures bob around. But then the girls appear, and more of them is showing than would be appropriate for the Saturday morning funnies, so maybe this is not for kids after all. When the wizard who raised all the friends becomes irate and singes the boys with his fury, the girls’ clothing is blasted off completely and inexplicably, while the supposedly capable regional female leader makes Xena look Amish. Then some random cussing sets in. It’s a real dog’s breakfast. There’s meant to be an emotional payoff when a) the field is under fire and then b) monsters finally hatch for Ten, but instead I just found myself checking constantly to see how much longer was remaining.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Fate strange Fake
First Impression: claire
There’s a fair bit more meta-narrative going on here this time too, with observers and wannabe game masters and all sorts interfering or vowing not to interfere, including a new band of priests and nuns who seem like they’ll be a lot less creepy and more entertaining than earlier religious authorities. We can expect some pretty significant new lore with this one, I think. The animation is all that we’ve come to expect of a Fate series, with A1 Pictures proving themselves up to the task. The cast so far is a little more diverse than usual too (perhaps due to its American setting?), which is nice to see. Ayaka is swirling in mystery and incongruity—not least being her physical similarity to Saber—making for an interesting focal character this episode. It’s wonderful to hear Hiroyuki Sawano’s soundtrack again, and his score really adds emotion and energy to the episode. All in all, I have a ton more questions now than I did after the OVA, which is a good sign for the rest of the season. Looking forward to this strange ride, for real! (Haha, sorry.)
Jeskai
Well, that was a good, intriguing, mysterious, strong first episode (second episode?)…and I’m probably gonna have to watch the whole thing again six months or a year or whenever from now because I’ll have forgotten what’s going on. Not loving the release cadence here. Oh well. This being a Fate anime, I already find myself wondering which of these many characters will actually survive (because you just know like 90% or more are gonna die).
Streaming on Crunchyroll, subbed and dubbed.
Flower and Asura
First Impression: claire
The animation is thoughtful, and though stylistically distinct from KyoAni, being from Studio Bind (of Mushoku Tensei and Onimai fame), the directing from Ayamu Uwano leans hard into the quiet, small moments and emotional flourishes that made Sound! Euphonium so powerful. (Dig out your flower language dictionaries, people! And prepare for some Naoko Yamada-inspired moody leg shots.) The animation and music accompanying the recitation sequences in particular were breathtaking—like a punch to the gut, in fact, in the case of the more somber recitation on the beach. It was like watching a transformation sequence in Madoka Magica, dark and full of meaning, yet fundamentally inspiring too. Talk about conveying emotion effectively!
Gaheret
I’m afraid I didn’t enjoy this one as much as claire did. The music and the backgrounds were on point, but the character animation was stilted, with frequent still or repeated frames, or only the mouths moving. After a little, this stilted feeling extended to the editing, as if every scene was putting an extra two to four seconds before finally cutting away. I started to struggle with the story I was being told. The dialogue felt a tad too blunt and expository, and I found little nuance in the voice acting. I couldn’t really hear Hana’s shyness or Mizuki’s playful personality, and only the final recitation delivered the goods. In my eyes, this bluntness made the show shoot itself in the foot by spelling out its core conflict and addressing it far too early in the story. So, this one is probably not for me. That said, I hope you find in it the luminous side I didn’t see.
Streaming on HiDIVE.
From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad’s Been Reincarnated!
First Impression: claire
From Bureaucrat to Villainess manages to bring something totally fresh and terribly funny to the genre, playing both the genderswap and maturity cards to great effect! Even Kensaburou’s bureaucrat background proves both surprisingly relevant and entertaining. He had me laughing from start to finish! I especially appreciate the generational differences between his classic otaku reference points and his daughter’s otome game obsession, and hope we get more flashbacks to his original life (I want to meet his wife, who is apparently just as big an otaku as the rest of the family!). Kensaburou is a charming character, as both himself and as Grace, and his fatherly wisdom is actually pretty on point. The animation is solid, and the decisions to frequently shadow Grace visually with Kensaburou and use two different voice actors for inner speech and audible dialogue work really well.
Streaming on HiDIVE.
Headhunted to Another World: From Salaryman to Big Four!
First Impression: stardf29
Overall, the storyline is basic and fulfills its purpose of demonstrating how Uchimura’s experience in our world’s workforce can help with the aspects of managing a demon army that do not involve violence while showing how Uchimura himself feels happier to be working under the Demon Lord. While all of this is enjoyable enough, the main things that catch my interest for future episodes are the internal conflict between demons and demi-humans, the question of what the army is fighting for, and of course, the burgeoning romance with the fiery redhead. I cannot yet hire this show for a spot on my watchlist, but it at least passes the first interview.
Jeskai
Ooh, another anime that was better than I expected. Nothing too groundbreaking or exceptional here, but fun enough that I’ll come back for another episode or two before making a decision.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Honey Lemon Soda
First Impression: twwk
First, the good: the animation is lovely (there’s a beautiful, cherry blossom shot early in the show, for instance), the character designs are appealing, and the music is catchy. Also, the last five minutes are quite awesome, featuring a “yeah!” moment and the doki doki feels that we all watch shoujo to get. But the rest of the episode kind of had me annoyed, starting with Ishimori herself. You have to relate to what shoujo heroines are feeling, even if your struggles are not their own, but sometimes a character will trend a little too much toward “obnoxious” to relate to and care about; Ishimori isn’t all the way to the end, but she is almost there. It’s like…girl, if you’re so smart, hatch a plan that helps you move forward a step at a time. Ugh! In fact, I think I feel about her quite like Miura does in this episode—he’s annoyed by Ishimori, even as he can tell she’s probably a lovely person. My hope is that episode one is a little over the top because, well, shoujo.
Laura
Wonderful wonderful first episode! As a huge fan of the manga, I was so moved by how touchingly Uka’s story is conveyed in the anime through the storytelling and the animation, as you can see the deep love and care that went into every moment! I got teary all over again and yelled at my TV to encourage Uka to be brave! I can definitely see this being the shoujo of the season and would highly recommend it to fans of the manga as well as those looking for a new shoujo to watch, especially if you enjoy Kimi ni Todoke and stories of heartfelt growth!
Josh
I’m not going to lie, this anime was frustrating to watch…but not in a bad way. It was frustrating because I found myself relating to what Ishimori was going through, having been bullied many times in high school (and even in my adult life) for the unspeakable sin of…having a rolling backpack, speaking “funny”, liking anime, and not hanging out with certain popular cliques. I can strongly relate to the struggle of maintaining the air of “yeah, this doesn’t bother me at all” while on the inside wanting to cry out “I’m hurting. I’m not okay. Someone do something.” Sometimes we could all do with that one person to push us to stand up for ourselves and challenge us to be our unapologetic true selves, and that’s why, even with his rough edges, I think Kai is going to be an interesting character to follow. I’m totally up to giving this one a follow to see how it goes, especially with the promise that it’s going to get even better than this. Also, I love this ending title sequence with these dancing goofy dorks being, well, dancing goofy dorks.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
I Left my A-Rank Party to Help My Former Students Reach the Dungeon Depths!
First Impression: Michel
I can imagine that many fantasy fans won’t see anything special here. The animation is average, and the main character’s abilities are nothing we haven’t seen before. Despite all of that, I have to admit that I was in a state of (positive) confusion during the first half of this episode. I’m not saying this series does anything amazing here, but there are many small positive elements that add up. The way the main character is introduced didn’t match my expectations based on the title and synopsis. The amount of inner monologue is close to zero, and the dialogue, especially from the main character, is surprisingly solid. He’s aware of how valuable he is, but he’s neither arrogant nor overambitious. He stands up for himself but with minimal theatrics or bitterness. When he meets up with his new party members who are much weaker than him, he’s not condescending, but helpful and humble. It might just be me, but he feels so much more likable and relatable compared to most protagonists in the genre.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
I May Be a Guild Receptionist, But I’ll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time
First Impression: Jeskai
So if Batman were a disgruntled female receptionist who fought dragons instead of crime… Yeah, that’s not an entirely crazy comparison. This appears to be a very silly mashup of fantasy adventure and workplace slice-of-life, with a heavy dose of comedy. That said, this was just the first episode, so while I expect plenty of humor either way, I don’t know if the show will lean more into the slice-of-life or action-adventure angle. Lest I forget, the soundtrack was excellent! My only real complaint is that there were a couple of moments of glaringly obvious CGI that stuck out awkwardly. I think this show looks like a lot of fun, and I will definitely be back next week to see Jade’s follow-up attempt to recruit the Executioner.
Twwk
It doesn’t take long for the audience to realize this: Alina is an A+ character. I’m so excited for audiences to see what an absolute riot she is, a mix of sweet and merciless…well, mostly merciless, especially to Jade. And who better to pick to inhabit this character than Rie Takahashi, who masterfully reminds us that Alina is 1) a sweetheart deep inside, 2) just like many of us, struggling with demands at work, and 3) quite unhinged. PERFECT. And after following along with both the light novels and the manga, I’m just excited to see this story brought to life; the adaptation surprised me, too, particularly in it how it built up the setting—the town and guild building have real atmosphere to them, including a digital/cyber element that I didn’t detect while reading the novels. Cool! Jade is also designed better than in the reading material, I think, with a little life and a little more handsomeness to him, both of which are needed for his role. After seeing a few disappointing adaptations lately, this looks like a winner!
claire
This was a hoot and a half! As Twwk mentioned, Rie Takahashi is absolutely perfect for this role and she is bringing it! Back when Tomo-chan came out, I was mad impressed that Re:Zero‘s Emilia could also sound like that, and now we get the two ends of the spectrum in one role! My only concern would be whether this could end up being a one-trick pony—all about the personality gap—but it sounds from my trusted colleague like there’s enough meat on the bones of this series to carry the rest of the season nicely. Looking forward to it!
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
I Want to Escape from Princess Lessons
First Impression: Laura
While the manga starts with the reader seeing Prince Clarke break their engagement, in the anime the title really comes into play as the story unfolds and we see Leticia really become lifeless the longer she takes princess lessons. I think it was the strongest part of this first episode and honestly, I wish the manga would have started in this same way. However, one thing I sympathized with equally in the two versions is the immense joy Leticia shows in finally being free from her engagement! Her joy is extremely tangible in how happy she is to be just as free as she was as a child! Hopefully, that means she can see her pet dog John from all those years ago because he was so incredibly cute! I deeply missed him when she left home! Ha! When it comes to the animation quality, it was okay. I watched this episode for the story and didn’t feel too put off by the lack of high-quality animation, except for one thing: Prince Clarke. He is not attractively drawn in the anime at all, which is a shame because I know I won’t watch further because at least in the manga, his handsome face helps with some of the unpleasant actions he later takes. In the anime, I have zero doubt that I will not be able to overlook anything from him and this leaves me feeling already annoyed.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
I’m a Noble on the Brink of Ruin, So I Might as Well Try Mastering Magic
First Impression: Michel
The character design is up to standard, and I think the magic/action scenes are well-animated. However, what truly brings these first episodes of I’m a Noble on the Brink of Ruin to life are the soundtrack and voice acting. I always love to hear Takehito Koyasu and Saori Hayami in any anime series, and in addition to them, there are some other notable seiyuu in the cast as well. I’m not a big isekai fan, but I found myself enjoying these two episodes a lot. The excitement of the main character is infectious, and it’s relatable because the magic system feels very rewarding. The anime succeeds in making me look forward to what spells he’ll learn next.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
I’m Getting Married to a Girl I Hate in My Class
First Impression: Jeskai
That was really funny. I know “young folks get married” isn’t a shockingly unique premise for a romcom at this point, but I thought this was quite an entertaining take on the concept. I’m also intrigued by the message to marry young; I kind of felt like the show might actually be sincerely encouraging it, not just using it as a punchline. If so, it would be a strikingly countercultural message in a world where fewer people marry at all and the average age for first marriage has been climbing for decades.
Michel
On the negative side, the silliness of the grandparents and the exaggerated reactions from the main characters became a bit too much for me toward the end of the episode. However, there is a good chance we won’t see much of the grandparents anymore from now on, to focus more on the relationship between the main “couple.” Despite being interested in this anime, the first episode wasn’t very promising overall, but I’ll consider giving it one or two more episodes before dropping it completely.
Josh
I did not enjoy this one at all. I hoped this one could be good, even though the whole “I hate you but I secretly love you” trope has been well-trodden in anime. While the premise is somewhat interesting, any hopes I had that this could be an entertaining watch disappeared when I was introduced to the main characters. I get that these two are supposed to hate each other, but good freaking grief they take it to a whole new annoying level. It seems like they’re just there to annoy each other, like this is their only reason for living. Heck, even when a character asks “Hey, Akane, why do you hate Saito?” she LITERALLY doesn’t have an answer! By the way, are we supposed to like the grandparents in this one? Are we supposed to be like “Oh, you sly foxes! You two just want to hook these crazy kids up!” Cause honestly nothing is charming or endearing about these two blackmailing their grandchildren who CLEARLY have no chemistry with each other. So yeah, if you like this one, more power to you and I hope you enjoy it. But as for me, I think Akane, Saito and their grandparents can go kick rocks.
stardf29
So it’s the classic “two people who constantly fight are forced to interact with each other more and grow to like each other” romcom staple, this time with arranged marriage. First of all, yes, the grandparents are terrible people. Anyway, the writing is funny and the animation is good. My issues are as follows: first of all, usually with these types of stories, there’s at least some hint of the two protagonists warming up to each other even within the first episode, but here, we only get the tiniest hint of that, which makes it hard for me to root for the central romance. Second, what are the other girls there for? Will they be actual positive forces in helping the two protagonists get along, or are they there mainly to give Saito more love interests to make a harem out of a show that doesn’t need to be a harem? Overall, the comedy and presentation are solid enough that I might give it a few more episodes, but I can’t say the show made the best first impression.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
I’m Living With an Otaku NEET Kunoichi!?
First Impression: Twwk
This anime has a really heavy dose of old-school romcom corniness to it; with early 00s character designs, an old-man narrator, and spacy sound effects and music, it feels more like it should have aired in 2005 than 20 years later. The fanservice also feels old-school; it’s very spandex-y and honestly isn’t terribly distracting—not until the last five minutes, that is. Up to that point, I was ready to pronounce this series as harmless and perhaps worth recommending to fans of older anime (and of cute, nerdy leads like Shizuri), but there’s a creepy and highly sexualized part at the end of episode two that changed my mind. That scene makes me want to warn you that while the series mostly conveys a wacky but warm and iyashikei-ish vibe, it is clearly adult (this is HIDIVE, after all). I’m not sure how often those bits of over-the-top sexuality will find their way into the rest of the series, but I found this one to be disruptive enough.
Streaming on HIDIVE.
Magic Maker: How to Make Magic in Another World
First Impression: Gaheret
The graphics are strong, and the music is good: the opening in particular made me smile a lot. The personalities of Shion and Marie are well depicted, and though some small moments irked me a little, the way they overcame their differences was endearing. But then, the mammoth in the room reared its head and kept rearing it for the last ten uncomfortable minutes, culminating in Shion forswearing marriage to always be with his teary sister and receiving magical powers when he embraces her. So, down the accursed route we go. Will they? Won’t they? Were they childhood friends, I’d love to find out, but I’m really averse to this concept. Too bad, though.
claire
Ugh! As Gaheret so eloquently said, “Why, anime? Why you do this?!” Why play the incest card in a perfectly sweet sibling reincarnation stor… oh wait. We’ve seen this before…[coughs in Oshi] Such a shame! There was no need for it, and up until things started to get a little too emphatic between the kids, their family dynamic was really sweet! But we cannot have nice things when it comes to anime families, can we? 🙁
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Medaka Kuroiwa Is Impervious To My Charms
First Impression: WacOtaku
The animation is passable but quite basic, exemplified by the final section of the opening credits where the five main girls do a simple and stiff dance routine that’s pretty weak for a segment where it’s traditional for a studio to throw their haymaker punch. And as for the significant number of fanservice shots in this episode, well, as a manga reader, I can confirm that things generally (and mercifully) lessen in that department over time as the character arcs develop. And speaking of the characters, I do actually like the main pair. Medaka is probably going to be catching a lot of flack this season for how dense he is and how he repeats “worldly desires begone!” like a broken record, but he’s shown to be a genuinely decent guy who walks away from steamy scenarios because he chooses to based on values and beliefs, not because he panics and “chokes”. As for Mona, if this wasn’t the most endearing start for her, we do at least see early clues of her later development: caught between her persona’s reckless ego and her true self’s shyness about intimacy and physical contact. Her pride writes checks that her better judgment refuses to cash, and it’s an entertaining schtick… once you get to know her.
twwk
I haven’t read the manga, but I can say that what WacOtaku infers is to come—better characterization of both leads, for instance—is foreshadowed quite nicely in episode one. It’s no surprise to me, for instance, that Mona will become endearing and that Medaka proves to be an easy lead to root for. I was pretty engaged, in fact, right from the start, both by the comedy (I found myself laughing aloud a few times in this initial episode) and the promise of a romance developing between Medaka and Mona. As with many ecchi series, there seems to be plenty of heart in this one if you don’t let those scenes overwhelm you and the story. Here’s hoping the ecchiness gets toned down and the heart continues to shine.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Medalist
First Impression: stardf29
I have read some of the original manga and it has become one of my favorite manga of late, so I was looking forward to this anime adaptation a lot, and I have to say, it did not disappoint at all. The animation is very well done, with extended ice skating sequences blending 3DCG quite well to capture the visual appeal of the sport, while the rest of the show also looks great, especially with its use of facial expressions. The story is where this episode shines, as it portrays the full range of emotions from the situation at hand. From Inori’s desperation to find something she’s good at, to Tsukasa’s regrets over his past career, even to the mother’s concerns, I could feel every character’s desires and fears clashing together until everything builds up to Tsukasa’s passionate declaration.
twwk
What a precious first episode! I absolutely love the leads already; the opening episode already captured what’s so precious about both Inori and Tsukasa—their challenges, personalities, and struggles. And the animation was lovely, even the CGI, as stardf29 mentioned. I hope this series finds the audience it deserves, even hidden away from many otaku over on Hulu.
Streaming on Hulu (US, also with English dub) and Disney+ (outside US).
Momentary Lily
First Impression: Michel
The art and animation were of very high quality. The character designs look appealing and are memorable, while both the character animations and the action sequences were top quality. However, there are some issues here as well. There is a constant lens flare in every shot, which looks cool at first, but it became annoying when I realized it was there to stay for the whole episode…When it comes to choreography, I thought the first action scene was mediocre, but they’ve got better in the second half of the episode. The fast pacing made it difficult to get used to the setting and characters, but the excellent voice acting partly made up for that. In terms of story, it’s a bit difficult to understand what the show is going for. I’d say the characters are interesting enough for it to go in a slice-of-life direction, but I think they’ll go for a dark turn instead. I don’t think it’s setting up for a dark direction very well though, because it looks like we’ll keep seeing all six characters together, which I imagine would make it difficult to add depth to the characters, but there is a chance they’ll get on track in the next few episodes.
claire
Studio GoHands is always going to come under fire [edit: ahem, see Josh below!!] for their OTT stylistics which come straight out of a Michael Bay movie, making every head of hair move like Medusa and every leisurely walk look like the stuff of a fever dream with its forced perspective and hyper-camerawork. But, you know, you gotta hand it to them: they’re original. And that’s definitely what this series is too, being a crazy mashup of genres with a healthy sprinkling of tropes, but enough unpredictability and downright wackiness to make it fun. It’s not the kind of episode you can predict, really, and there’s value in that. Also, the OP is a hoot and a half with those death metal screamo female vocals mixed in with uber-cutesy (English accented?) girly rap. Do I know what I just watched? Not really. Do I want to see a bit more? You bet! Especially that flying electric guitar surfboard that takes out giant human-erasing machine aliens! (Also, they’re cooking up Italian next episode, so gotta tune in for that.)
Josh
Oh, Studio GoHands…you know, you don’t have to throw ALL of your budget into animation, guys. I mean, good grief, this is just a Cute Girls Doing Cute Things show—you REALLY don’t need to make this show an 8K Super Omega High Definition Tour De Force. Seriously, this show needs to come with a warning to take motion sickness pills before viewing. Also, not everything needs to bounce, guys! Animation aside, this show reminds me of 2015’s School-Live; young women in an apocalyptic world forced to survive and fight off monsters. While it does look interesting, especially with the cooking montages, I doubt I’ll stick with it.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
My Happy Marriage
First Impression: claire
It’s back! And just as sweet and lovely and beautifully animated as before. No dip in production quality here from studio Kinema Citrus, who continue to stun with their rich visual storytelling (those backgrounds!). While season 1 was a bit of a slow burn not just in a romantic sense, but specifically in terms of the fantasy and political elements, this episode makes it clear that My Happy Marriage is now a veritable blazing conflagration as the machinations kick off with Prince Takaihito and the Usuba clan, and Miyo’s unique power begins to blossom. Ramping up the intrigue and magic gives the story a new lease on life, while bringing in Kiyoka’s absentee family adds a whole new layer of tension and melodrama to the interpersonal side of the story as well.
Michel
The last season of My Happy Marriage was a comfort anime for me, and I’m sure I’ll enjoy watching this season the same way. From the moment they were introduced, I’ve thought Miyo and Kiyoka were likable characters, and now that we’ve seen their relationship develop, they’ve become even more dear to me. If I’m entirely honest, I don’t care as much about the plot as much as I do about the characters. Because of that, I’ll keep watching regardless of where the story goes, but I hope we’ll see the return of some of the side characters from last season.
Streaming on Netflix.
Okitsura: Fell in Love with an Okinawan Girl but I Just Wish I Know What She’s Saying
First Impression: WacOtaku
Plot-wise, so far we’ve seen a series of pretty standard rom-com scenarios, just with an Okinawan cultural twist—once you’ve seen the scene where Teru learns that Okinawans often use their given names instead of their family names for practical reasons, any experienced anime fan can guess what is coming next (answer: he has to call a girl by her given name, normally a sign of affection and emotional intimacy in mainland Japanese culture). The animation is up to standard, but the real star of the art is the backgrounds. Granted, Okinawa is just that beautiful, but still, studio Millepensee does a good job.
Josh
Okay, this show really brought a smile to my face. This looks like it’ll be a fun little “fish out of water” romp, much like last year’s Hokkaido Girls are Super Adorable. I really like all the characters, and I’m always a fan of a series that shows off more of Japan and its many cultures. I fully became sold on this one though when, out of the clear blue sky, they made an Evangelion reference! By the way, are we in the midst of an Evangelion revival?! First McDonalds, now this? Hideaki Anno, what are you planning? But I digress. As good as I found the episode, I can’t help but wonder if Crunchyroll would try to dub this one? I mean, we’ve seen cases before when anime dub writers have adapted other dialects with little problem, but in this case, where the language in question is so far out there, will they even try? It’ll be a challenge to be sure. In any case, I’m enjoying this one and it’s totally going on my watch list!
Gaheret
I cannot pretend to be impartial about this one, either: my wife did spend her teenage years in Okinawa, and this episode felt like her stories were brought to life. The staggering nature, the urban settings, and the feel of the place are (I’m told) all on point. This Okinawa is lovely and colorful, just like how “Deji” Meets Girl depicted it a few years ago. Since this show has more time to spend on the island, I’m hoping to see giant spiders, local celebrations, famous locations, and local customs interfere with the romantic adventures of our characters. As for the story, I thought the tone was gentle and fun, and found it easy to connect to the trials and tribulations of the disoriented newbie, the enamored translator, and their boisterous friend. This could be extremely enjoyable, and I can’t wait for episode two.
stardf29
This was a very solid episode with both romcom hijinks and some insight into the Okinawan dialect. There’s not really much else to say that others haven’t said: it was fun and I’ll be watching more. I will say this, though: would the show be daring enough to not only pick a winner at the end, but to have that winner be Kana? Eh, probably not, but it should still be a fun watch.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Possibly the Greatest Alchemist of All Time
First Impression: Michel
…the things I’d criticize the most about this first episode are the story and the characters. The first five minutes are nothing more than Takumi speaking with Norn amid the clouds of a heavenly realm. During this time, we learn basically nothing about Takumi, and it doesn’t help that he has no physical body during the conversation. Norn is not interesting enough to carry the scene either, and this sets the stage for a mediocre first episode. The rest is moderately entertaining, as we see Takumi gain new skills. Still, it feels kind of meaningless if there are no interesting characters for him to interact with. Some of the foreshadowing in the first episode suggests that the story might take a different direction soon, so if you’re not too bothered by the first episode, it might be worth sticking around for an episode or two more.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Promise of Wizard
First Impression: claire
…As for the handsome men, well, if we include the OP sequence as well, there are simply too many of them; they come across the screen in wave after indistinguishable wave, their character designs offering nothing unique or memorable, with even their names being recycled from a thousand isekai anime. The backgrounds are practically non-existent and the layouts pointedly unimaginative, with the occasional canted angle or unnecessary crash zoom trying to liven up the bleak storyboarding. Great swathes of purple nothingness dominate the long middle sequence on the stairs, for instance. The writing is onerous, and all the speechifying tedious in the extreme. At least I don’t need to worry about having insomnia anymore: I can just rewatch this one to send me straight off into dreamland, preferably without any wizard accompaniment though, thank you very much. I won’t be back for more of this one—not even for the screencaps.
Streaming on Crunchyroll,
The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World
First Impression: Michel
…even though the anime isn’t really that funny in my opinion, the chemistry between Tougo and Yidhra is kind of endearing. Tougo has an undying optimism that reminds me of Shu from Now and Then, Here and There, and his preserved abilities from his previous world give him some uniqueness as an isekai protagonist. Yidhra is a bit of a standard tsundere character, but she treats Tougo with respect despite all his silliness. So in defiance of my initial expectations, I think this one is worth giving a shot if the premise interests you.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Sakamoto Days
First Impression: Gaheret
I came into this show completely blind, felt slightly skeptical during the first scene, and then was won over in the first three minutes. The tones are so masterfully blended that nothing here feels jarring or convoluted. Things flow swiftly, which is no small feat in itself. No matter how absurd, the action scenes always feel tense and sophisticated, the jazzy score is on point, the colors are striking and somehow melancholic, and Sakamoto’s straight-man act is nothing short of hilarious. It never gets old. I laughed out loud twice that I remember, and had a smile on my face the whole time I watched. And, best of all, there is genuine heart here, genuine warmth behind the character interactions. There is a gentleness to the show and its protagonist that brings it close to series like Mob Psycho 100 or Trigun, celebrating the joy of normal things and the beauty of little moments.
Streaming on Netflix.
Solo Leveling Season 2: Arise from the Shadow
First Impression: Twwk
…the returning staff seems intent on correcting the issues from season one. Instead of a slam-bang sort of opening, there is a focus here on telling a coherent story, adding in some potential romance for Jinwoo, and making sure the audience recognizes the characters, giving them dialogue that helps us place them within the tale. And then there’s the action parts, too, which swoop in near the end of the episode to turn up the adrenaline. Ice bear fight? Pretty wicked. And with an awesome OP with another incredible song by LiSA (“ReawakeR” featuring Felix from Stray Kids), there was more than enough excitement to go with the better writing and direction.
Jeskai
Well, it’s…another season of Solo Leveling. I didn’t quite see the differences as dramatically as TWWK did, but I’ve never read the manga, so that may be a factor. In any case, if you enjoyed the first season (as I did), this definitely looks promising.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Sorairo Utility (TV)
First Impression: stardf29
Whereas the one-shot dropped us into the middle of a game with the characters already having played together for some time, this episode brings us back to the beginning, showing how Minami got started with golf in the first place. The story is pretty standard fare for a slice-of-life revolving around an after-school activity: the main character wants to find something to do with her life, finds that something (golf), and slowly gets more into it with the help of others. Compared to other golf anime or sports anime in general, it has a very laid-back feel, suggesting more of a focus on the casual side of the sport (remember that Minami’s goal in the one-shot was just to make par on one hole; she isn’t joining the LPGA anytime soon). Yostar Pictures once again does a good job with the animation, which adds to the pleasing, relaxed atmosphere. Otherwise, very little stands out in this show beyond the novelty of a slice-of-life golf anime, but it does that job well enough with its presentation and even some tips on swing form to help your golf game.
Jeskai
Huh. This doesn’t seem like it’ll have the off-the-wall craziness of Birdie Wing, but instead it offers a chill slice-of-life vibe that is very fitting for golf. I mean, it’s a game about leisurely strolling through a carefully tended, almost gardenlike landscape while occasionally hitting a ball. I’ll tee up the next episode, at least.
Streaming on HIDIVE.
Tasokare Hotel
First Impression: Michel
The character design and animation are alright for the mystery genre, though nothing about the visuals stands out very much. I found the soundtrack and voice acting to be a bit boring as well. To be fair, the main character is calm and collected amid a strange situation, but it doesn’t help to make the first episode engaging. The plot sets up an episodic mystery story, for which this is a decent first episode, but I would’ve liked to have seen something a bit more dramatic. The first “case” in which Tsukahara is involved is not original or noteworthy, and Tsukahara by herself is not an interesting enough character to carry the episode on her own. An episodic anime needs to have a strong start because otherwise, there is not much reason to tune in for the next installment. So despite not having many outright negative elements, I’ll drop this anime for now. I will say that the atmosphere works well, so if you’re a fan of mystery anime, you might want to give this one a shot.
claire
I’m not going to pretend this one is good; but I must say, it is bad in a kind of more-ish way that has me wanting to see another episode or two. Is it just an unfortunate coincidence that the main color used for the decor (dusky rose) is also the same as the MC’s costume so that she blends away into nothingness in most shots? Is there a reason why the guy sitting at the bar looks like a hornless goat, and the barmaid, a 1920s flapper with goat horns? Are they actually one person? Why did Ruri take such a visceral dislike to the MC after one lone “cute” remark, and how can a guy with fire for a head drink so much beer? The whole thing is a trainwreck, but one that I kinda wanna watch for a while. Besides, gotta find out who stabbed the MC, right?
Streaming on YouTube.
Übel Blatt
First Impression: Jake
The animation and soundtrack quality are all fine. No abysmal CGI effects distract from the animation, while the animation also doesn’t do anything crazy. It’s perfectly watchable and competent. My biggest complaint about this opening episode would be the treatment of the female characters. Neither of them prove very useful and the amount of fan service doesn’t give me confidence they will be treated respectfully. But those detractors aside, if you are looking for a fantasy (possibly science-fantasy?) anime with plenty of edginess and interesting world-building, you can do much worse than check out Übel Blatt. For myself, I may give it at least another episode or two to see where it goes.
Streaming on Amazon Prime.
Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf!
First Impression: Michel
Whenever I see a boring character design for the MC, I quickly drop my expectations for an anime. Sure enough, in this first episode, Kazuhiro doesn’t seem like an interesting character, at least not yet. On the positive side, I find the premise pretty interesting, traveling back and forth to the isekai reality, and I like the color palette and soundtrack, as well as the voice acting. I can see why this series could turn out to be a decent comfort anime, mixing elements of the isekai and romcom genres. However, the attempt to keep everything low-stakes could turn out negatively as well. The only serious monster encounter in the fantasy world gets downplayed with a weird focus on Maria’s breasts, and back in the real world, Maria seems to take a liking to the MC a little bit too quickly.
Jeskai
With regard to some of Michel’s critiques and concerns, I feel like this opening episode didn’t do the greatest job setting things up. The fantasy adventure side of the story does get more action-packed…we just didn’t see any of it here. And regarding Kazuhiho and Marie’s relationship, the episode dropped hints of their history together, but could have been more explicit in establishing that background (though to be fair, that’s partly the fault of the light novels, which save some notable revelations about their past encounters for later volumes). However, there is one objectionable point I’d raise: the series includes more borderline-ecchi naked-in-bed moments than I care for. It’s not a constant thing (and it’s easier to ignore in the light novel, which is just text, after all), but it’s definitely going to come up again. I believe it would be an overstatement to call Ms. Elf “ecchi,” but you should be aware that there will be more situations that get uncomfortably close. So depending on how much you see that as an issue, you may want to just pass on this series. As with so many adaptations, it can be hard to tell from the first episode whether the anime will do justice to the source material. Because I enjoy the light novels, I’m going to stick around for at least a couple more episodes, and if the novel hybrid of the isekai adventure and reverse isekai slice-of-life genres appeals to you, you shoud check it out too.
stardf29
As a light novel reader, I was definitely looking forward to seeing this series animated, and so far I would say it is doing a good job. The animation is solid, and while the episode skips out on some of the details of Marie’s reactions to things like cars and sushi, I don’t feel it to be a huge loss; if anything, it helps the episode’s pacing from being dragged down. As for the story itself, what I like the most about this series is how much Marie (and others) enjoy her time in Japan, and how that affects Kazuhiko’s own enjoyment of his world. With all of these fantasy series offering an escape to another world, it’s nice to have a story that shows how much there is to love about our own world, even if perhaps we need to look at it from a different perspective, like an elf who was reverse-isekai’d into it. Also, Kazuhiko and Marie already show good chemistry with each other, which is important as the romance between the two is what I like second-most about this series. This is definitely one I will be continuing on with.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Go Rush!!
First Impression: Jake
All in all, to be honest, I found Go Rush!! far less painful to watch than several of the other Yu-Gi-Oh! animes. I let go a long time ago of hoping that a new Yu-Gi-Oh! would be as good as the older series. So, while it is definitely not for me, a Yu-Gi-Oh! series (and English dub) that isn’t offensive to the senses is about as close to a win as they’ve come in years. If Yu-Gi-Oh! is going to move forward into the future, it needs to stop trying to reinvent itself and remember what it really is. Yu-Gi-Oh! became a worldwide phenomenon that rivaled Pokémon because it was a more mature alternative that challenged the status quo of kids’ anime. Yu-Gi-Oh! Go Rush!! is a perfectly inoffensive show for kids, but it lacks what makes Yu-Gi-Oh! unique.
Airs on Disney XD on Saturdays at 7am EST/ 6am CST.
Zenshu
First Impression: claire
We always get a little excited around here at BtT when a new original anime is premiering—there is something so refreshing about the lack of source material and potential for spoilers!—and this one, I wager, is going to prove to be a really fun ride! It neither feels, looks, nor sounds like your typical reincarnated into a novel/video game/isekai series, despite building on that tried and true storytelling framework. For starters, the initial real-world setting is fully developed, with a cast of characters who feel full-bodied enough to carry a series a la Shirobako, rather than the token “pre-reincarnation” segments more typical of the genre. The destination world too has that dash of originality in that it is a problematic work by a renowned animation director (perhaps akin to Goro’s/Ghibli’s Tales of Earthsea?), in contrast to the bland worldbuilding mechanics endemic to many series.
twwk
THAT TRANSFORMATION SEQUENCE. Wow! But as Claire says, there’s so much more to the episode, too. I need to rewatch it, but even upon my first viewing, I’m ready to predict that this is the “anime of the season.” There’s already so much depth, thought, and artistry in this one episode—here’s hoping all of that continues and this becomes the profound work that it looks as if it’ll be.
Josh
As you know, I am not a big fan of Isekai anime. I feel like it’s just become the bog-standard trope that creators have fallen back on like a safety net. But surprisingly, I found myself invested! Watching Natsuko freak out over finding herself in the world of her favorite movie with characters and dialogue she knows like the back of her hand is just so endearing, and the idea that she can effect a change in this world is very unique! I mean, given the chance, who wouldn’t want to jump into a TV show or movie they love and adore and interact with beloved characters, saving characters that die horribly or changing the course of relationships so your one true pairing happens? What if you could go into the 1991 movie My Girl and give Thomas J a can of flying insect spray or jump into 1988’s Grave of the Fireflies and give Setsuko some antibiotics? Heck, it’s why fanfiction and fanart are popular today! Trust me, I know–I’ve changed the world of Digimon with my fanfics back in the day…for better or worse. But I digress. I’m willing to give this one a shot this year, especially since it looks like it’s getting a Same-Day dub, which sounds PRODIGIOUS.
Jeskai
There’s not much I can add to all the gushing my colleagues have done, so I’m just chiming in to agree with them that yeah, this was a really good first episode and I look forward to more!
Michel
After this first episode, I don’t yet have a good idea of what themes the anime will be diving into, but I’m sure the next few episodes will fix that. So far, the anime has been pretty light-hearted, as is the case for most isekai. As mentioned above, there are many things to be excited about in this one, and I was hyped to see a homage to one of my favorite Ghibli films. The one thing I’m wondering about is if there will be significant conflict or not, but I’ll keep an eye on this anime!
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
