I don’t know what it looks like in your neck of the woods, but these days, I’m greeted outside by birdsong, budding flowers, butterflies, and even a nest in my tree with eggs in it. Spring has sprung, and that means: anime?! Yep, we otaku know that as March passes into April, the new spring anime series premiere. And as usual, we’ve got you covered!
As the new shows premiere, we’ll be writing short “first impression” reviews of her on the site and then adding snippets from those fuller reviews 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 of our impressions, as well as screencaps, streaming links, and additional thoughts by our other writers.
So what are you looking forward to this season? Returning fare like Fire Force, Black Butler, Bye, Bye Earth, or Wind Breaker? New fantasy series like The Beginning After the End and I Left my A-Rank Party to Help My Former Students Reach the Dungeon Depths? Romance like Can a Boy-Girl Friendship Survive? and Summer Pockets? Action series such as Lazarus and My Hero Academia: Vigilantes? Soft and slice-of-life series like Ann Shirley and mono? Comedy like the second season of Aharen-san wa Hakarenai and Witch Watch? We’ve even got sci-fi mysteries with Kowloon Generic Romance and Your Forma! Whatever your taste, there’s a show airing for this season!
Let us know what you’re planning to watch! And keep coming back here to see our thoughts. Happy viewing!
Aharen-San wa Hakarenai (Season 2) • Anne Shirley • The Beginning After the End • Apocalypse Hotel • The Brilliant Healer’s New Life in the Shadows • Can a Boy-Girl Friendship Survive? • Catch Me at the Ballpark! • Classic★Stars • The Dinner Table Detective • Fire Force S3 • Food for the Soul • From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman • The Gorilla God’s Go-To Girl • Guilty Gear Strive: Dual Rulers • I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire! • I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level Season 2 • Kowloon Generic Romance • Lazarus • Maebashi Witches • Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX – Beginning • Mono • Moonrise • My Hero Academia: Vigilantes • A Ninja and an Assassin Under One Roof • Once Upon a Witch’s Death • Rock is a Lady’s Modesty • The Shiunji Family Children • Summer Pockets • Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentōshō • Teogonia • The Too-Perfect Saint: Tossed Aside by My Fiancé and Sold to Another Kingdom • To Be Hero X • Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray • The Unaware Atelier Meister • Witch Watch • Yaiba: Samurai Legend • Yandere Dark Elf: She Chased Me All the Way From Another World • Your Forma • Zatsu Tabi (That’s Journey)
Aharen-San wa Hakarenai (Season 2)
First Impression: Josh
Watching these two deadpan dorks carry on with their sweet little romance warms my heart. Add a cast of secondary characters with their quirky personalities and stories, and you get a show you can’t miss, especially if you’re a fan of the first season. Sometimes, you don’t need a lot in your romcoms—just a lot of laughs, heart, and a couple you can’t help but love. Guys, we rarely get a post-confession season for romcoms, so you owe it to yourself to enjoy this one!
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Anne Shirley
First Impression (Team)
As in the original story, Anne Shirley really encourages viewers to find the romance in everyday life, a theme that slice-of-life anime continues to explore to this day. Meanwhile, the drama over her adoption plants the seed of a story about family, where a child is adopted not out of usefulness but rather out of love. All of this makes Anne Shirley fit in surprisingly well with its modern anime contemporaries, despite being based on a novel over 100 years old. But then again, maybe modern anime has been influenced by Anne of Green Gables all this time. ~ stardf29
There have been many adaptations over the years, and each has its charms. But so far, although it’s only been one episode, I’ll admit that this one is well on its way to winning my heart. If it keeps on engaging with the original work and Montgomery’s heart like this, rather than seeking to “modernize” this classic tale, it may very well take first place by the end of the season. ~ claire
This new anime adaptation of Anne just went through that entire arc in a single 24-minute episode, which means many key scenes were rushed or skipped. It was a very polished and pleasant first episode, but because of that, it loses some of the magic. Compared to the 1979 adaptation, Marilla is not as intimidating, Matthew doesn’t come off as reclusive, and Anne is not as idiosyncratic and daydreamy. It seems like they’re not trying to compete with Takahata’s adaptation by going for a more modern take. As far as that goes, and if I ignore how much of the content they’re rushing, I think they’re doing a decent job. ~ Michel
Anne’s whimsy, theatricality, and imagination really shine through here, not only in her dialogue but in her highly expressive face. Matthew is a man of few words, but you can sense his kindness. And of course there’s serious Marilla, who isn’t quite as stern and stolid as she tries to act. She gets the biggest arc of the episode, culminating in the delightful moment where she decides to adopt Anne and glares down the sketchy Mrs. Blewett. The environment is also a star here, with gorgeous scenery popping up frequently. ~ Jeskai
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
The Beginning After the End
First Impression: Michel
I liked the art, animation, and soundtrack, but this first episode does not have any major action scenes, so it remains to be seen how well they’ll be executed. So far, we’ve only been introduced to two other characters: his mom and dad. They’re likable enough but a bit simple. For this anime to succeed, either the protagonist will need a good amount of character development, or the rest of the main cast will have to make up for it.
claire
TBATE is an interesting one straight out of the gates: It’s actually an American, English-language online novel/comic series that has a pretty hefty international following—enough so to warrant a Japanese adaptation! That in itself tells me it’s worth checking out. It has a reputation for being a slow-burn series that gradually becomes incredibly expansive and absorbing, exploring diverse philosophies alongside the political intrigue. What struck me about this first episode, though, (in addition to the slowish pace) was the focus on emotional intelligence, or rather, the protagonist’s lack thereof, the reasons behind his numbness (which is very well conveyed) and survival of the fittest type obsession with gaining power, and the slowly dawning realization that a different life might not just be possible, but really rather comforting. If it keeps up its engagement with his emotional development, I may just stick around for a genre of series that I’ll admit I generally drop after First Impression season ends. There’s gotta be something behind its non-standard provenance, after all, right?
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Apocalypse Hotel
First Impression: Claire
This one is an original series—I do so enjoy an OG anime!—and the animation sparkles, albeit in a soft, rosy-hued kind of way, reminiscent of Do It Yourself! The character designs are deceptively simple, managing to make hulking masses of non-anthropomorphized metal quite elegant and personable, each in its own way. Meanwhile, the backgrounds are pretty lush, as befits both an elite hotel and a “return to nature” post-apocalypse. There are some parallels here with The Concierge, which is set in a (likely) post-apocalyptic high-class shopping mall frequented by anthropomorphized extinct and endangered animals, and which similarly raises more questions than it answers. This bodes well for Apocalypse Hotel! The pace is steady and the humor, unforced, but it doesn’t drag, as new details of worldbuilding and foreshadowing pop up every few seconds, providing just enough mystery to intrigue.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
The Brilliant Healer’s New Life in the Shadows
First Impression: Gaheret
This particular “life in the shadows” has nothing of the allure nor the danger of Mos Eisley, Gotham, or the Undercity: It feels empty and sort of ruinous, that’s all. Most of all, the world feels small. The way Zenos saves the day is by having a conventional magical fight with a superpowered ghost in which he does not flinch once (must be the Kirito outfit). The medical stuff is an afterthought, and I find it’s handled in a way that makes it uncomfortable to watch. Some things hint at adventures and conspiracies down the road, but I’m just not feeling it. I’m also not thrilled at the idea of witnessing the harem’s ongoing catfight (or lizard-fight, lioness-fight, phantom-fight, elf-fight, or bunny-fight, as the case may be) over our protagonist for half an episode again, as hijinks ensue. So, hard pass. The ending song is a banger, though!
NegativePrimes
UPDATE: As expected, episode 2 is the real start of the story. A dark fantasy (trigger warning: attempted rape) with some comedic moments and a bit more depth as to how the magic healing works; all in all, it makes for an okay time. Nothing amazing, but not terrible like the first episode. ORIGINAL REVIEW: Having read the manga, this was one series I was looking forward to this season. And having read the manga, the anime has left me disappointed. The first episode completely jumps past the MC’s transition from adventurer to underground doctor, his encounters with each of the other characters introduced in episode one, and the various tensions (and their origins) between said characters—all are completely gone, replaced with a generic, chemistry-less harem with no reason for its existence. Nor is there any attention paid to the underworld that the healer finds himself in. I would have expected more from the director of Konosuba. Hopefully, this is just an “intro” and the actual plot and backstory will come in subsequent installments. I’m going to pretend episode one didn’t exist and try again next week.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Can a Boy-Girl Friendship Survive?
First Impression: Twwk
This is a fairly standard romcom, like most any other you’d watch. For instance, you’ve got two fairly clueless leads and a love rival already. It’s just that the biggest obstacle in this series seems to be this desire of Himari to want to remain friends, since in her mind, romance is pretty much trash and friendship is the highest love. I liked the final thoughts by Himari in the episode, which have her considering her feelings for Yu and were deeper than pretty much anything in the preceding twenty-two minutes; they helped save an episode that was up and down. It was sometimes very cute and fun, and then sometimes obnoxious—which is pretty much whenever Himari opens her mouth. She’s hard to like in her usual mode, though the contemplative version, like at the episode’s end, is appealing. I don’t necessarily trust the writing to carve out a special space in romcom anime, but there’s enough laughter and fun here to see where it goes; I’m just hoping that it’ll lean a little further into the thoughtful stuff and away from Himari’s annoying personality.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Catch Me at the Ballpark!
First Impression: Twwk
The animation is average to substandard, and to be frank, nothing in particular stands out as excellent. However, by the end of the first half, Ruriko’s personality and her chatter with Murata had more or less won me over, and then the second half got to me emotionally—which was a surprise! The writing isn’t particularly sharp, but I was still moved by the second story; I think this is because the series really understands what’s special about baseball, how connected to nostalgia and memory it is. I was reminded of James Earl Jones’ speech near the end of Field of Dreams when he says, “This field, this game—it’s a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again.” Catch Me at the Ballpark! is no Field of Dreams, but it’s still a lovely, warm series about a game that evokes such feelings just by being what it is, regardless of score or athleticism or talent. And for those of us who love the game and enjoy seinen and slice-of-life anime, that’ll be enough to keep us coming back to the ballpark.
Jeskai
I enjoyed this one. Yes, it’s a slow slice-of-life-at-a-baseball-stadium story. But I liked it. It’s sometimes silly, sometimes heartwarming, and it evokes a bit of childhood nostalgia, which isn’t something I can say very often about anime. This doesn’t seem like a must-watch, but I do recommend trying it if you have any fond memories of going to a baseball game.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Classic★Stars
First Impression: Gaheret
…the level of insanity is very high with this one: Artists can be explosive, but it’s like the whole episode’s logic is overflowing with teen drama. The OP happens ten minutes in, so at first I thought it was the ending. The story about the doctor makes my head spin. The songs are insanely angsty: “Burn bright, song of revenge!” The slim bishojo musicians “Chopin,” “Mozart,” “Liszt,” and “Beethoven” scream at each other, the teacher blanks out in the middle of a sentence, and the facilities themselves look like something out of a tall tale. If all of this doesn’t get in the way of your enjoyment, or you genuinely enjoy this kind of music, perhaps you’ll find something to like here. But yeah, not for me.
claire
Gaheret is spot on: there be bonkers in this one! It’s off the rocker, utterly and completely. Never mind the premise, which has the talents of classical composers reincarnating into teenage boys to turn them into idols (why, for the love of all that is sacred!); every single thing about this one is ridiculous! For example, the lead and his antithesis, Beethoven and Mozart, have exactly the same character design (with contrasting color schemes), except that Mozart has more lower eyelashes than Beethoven, indicating, no doubt, that he’s the more artsy one. Also, putting poor little Liszt and pasty Chopin into a boxing ring with a top youth athlete is just mean. And why the CG for what was essentially a montage of shots of a guy standing still while singing, and then impact frames of him throwing punches? And let’s not forget the opening rock performance, where a buncha shoegazers who think they’re the first humans to ever feel things whine lyrics about the futility of everything that isn’t them and their will and which could have been written by AI (and probably were). And in answer to Gaheret’s question about Bach’s apparent no-show: Pretty sure that’s him playing bass for that opening double-black-winged emo band. Ok, I’m going to go listen to some calming Debussy now; at least he hasn’t been corrupted…yet.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
The Dinner Table Detective
First Impression: Laura
…there was so much more that this first episode offered than simply a murder mystery! Reiko is a very fun, endearing heroine who is extremely earnest, especially in her friendships, but I would say as a detective too. I really liked her “boss” as well, and the energy these two offered when interrogating others had me bursting out laughing more than once because, as the butler Kageyama states, are they even smart enough to be detectives? (And he worded it even worse than I am here! Ha!) While I do believe Reiko is a good detective and is the “grounded one” of the two detectives, I wonder how in the world her boss came to be the lead inspector because his interrogating skills could use a lot of work! Even I know you can’t simply say that X person is the culprit because they match what the victim described! There were other people dressed the same way and were potential culprits too! Maybe that sounds like a complaint, but because the humor came directly from these moments, I deeply enjoyed my time watching this first episode!
claire
This one has a lot going for it! There’s the incredibly stylish OP, with music composed by he of AoT fame, Hiroyuki Sawano; there’s do-rama to the max thanks to the intrigues of the socialite circles in which Houshou moves (though she seems to be utterly oblivious to all of it and the last one to find out about any of the latest gossip); and a great deal of mystery—no, not about whodunnit, nor about who the enigmatic butler may be, but rather, about how exactly these two dummies, Houshou and Kazamatsuri, ever qualified as detectives! On the downside, it’s pretty frenetic, and the incompetence of the detectives at times beggars belief, while so far, I’ll admit that I find Kazamatsuri to be plain ole annoying. But then again, a girl’s gotta have some lighthearted viewing for lunch break, right? And for that purpose, this may just well hit the spot.
Streaming on Amazon Prime.
Fire Force S3
First Impression: NegativePrimes
I watched all of seasons one and two; but a lot of anime has flowed across the screen since 2021, and the recap was too minimalist for me. But that’s one of only two flaws in this episode (the other is Tamaki’s “lecher lure,” an excuse to focus on her chest and undergarments that has far overstayed its welcome). Otherwise, the action and the characters are solid, and the scenes with the White Clad Second Pillar, Haumea, were compelling and chilling, especially the one where she speaks with Burns. And the animation—oh, the animation! David Production is on point! Might need to check out a recap page online, but the final season of Fire Force is off to a blazing start!
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Food for the Soul
First Impression: Jeskai
The whole chance-meeting-into-club-recruitment scenario is familiar and predictable, rather than stirring one’s appetite. And where Laid-Back Camp offered gorgeous scenery, here we get a focus on food that bored me at best and disgusted me at worst (I will not eat raw egg and rice stirred together, not even with ketchup; I do not like them, Sam-I-Am). Basically, not one element of this episode went down smoothly for me. If your soul has an intense craving for a new CGDCT show, this might assuage your hunger, but otherwise I recommend ordering something else.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman
First Impression: Claire
You know, there may be something to this one. There’s nothing glaring on the production side—animation, sound, and voice acting are all nice, with a decent sword fight—though the worldbuilding is standard-issue Oldy Worldy fantasy. But what this one has going for it is the MC: It’s pretty rare to get a middle-aged protagonist in anime, and even more so in fantasy/adventure, so Beryl is kinda refreshing. The make-or-break question, though, will be whether subsequent episodes spend more time on the growing harem of former students, or demonstrating with more specificity what it is that age has to offer youth.
Streaming on Amazon Prime.
The Gorilla God’s Go-To Girl
First Impression: Jeskai
…I enjoyed the episode for what it was: a humorous, fish-out-of-water, “I got a superpower I didn’t ask for, now what?” comedy with some reverse harem elements. In other words, judging by the opening episode, this story is basically a romcom. Perhaps it’ll eventually take a more serious turn, but for now it’s just lighthearted and silly. And since I found it funny, this episode earns a passing grade from me, and I’ll be back next week for more. If you’re in the mood for this sort of anime, I recommend giving it a try. Maybe you’ll go bananas over it!
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Guilty Gear Strive: Dual Rulers
First Impression: Gaheret
Guilty Gear wears its video game roots on its sleeve, and I think it’s the better for it. There is a bold feeling to it: With strong visuals resembling those of Telltale Games’ productions, kinetic fights, upbeat music, and memorable character designs, it manages to sell its simple, almost childlike story with pathos and gusto. More than anything, I think, there is direction to this story: It doesn’t waste time, nor is it afraid to tell us what is important.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire
First Impression: Twwk
The second episode showed that this series is entertaining. But is it good? I certainly think the potential is there. The scene in which the main character signs away his life to “The Guide” recalls similar scenes in media relating to selling one’s soul to the devil; there’s rich material to mine here, including the thought of the protagonist being like a “faithless” version of Job interacting with the devil. And this isn’t the only reference to other media in this series. The Terminator franchise is quite clearly signalled, as is Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics. The animation is average, but I enjoyed the callback to some older animation styles during the fights (the space punks in one scene reminded me of The Irresponsible Captain Tylor), and I thought the fights themselves featured pretty strong CGI and mecha that were vintage and cool. I also have a number of questions, the answers to which might end up proving the series’ worth, such as: Who is Nitta-kun and how is he (or probably “she”) involved in all this? Is this truly a revenge story or is it a redemption tale (or something in between)? And will doggos save the day? Yes, really—dogs do seem to be an important part of the story. For now, I plan to tune in for a while at least, and maybe longer, if the season ends up being light on shows I’m interested in.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level Season 2
First Impression: stardf29
Plenty of isekai anime and light novels focus on portraying a relaxing “slow life”, and Killing Slimes is right up there with its colorful cast of friendly girls and focus on the hijinks they cause and just overall enjoying everyday life. The first episode of season 2 continues in this vein, as we are reintroduced to the cast and watch as Azusa dotes on her daughters and sets out to meet a goddess. The theological implications here are amusing: because gods and goddesses made a major appearance in history, atheism is basically non-existent. Then those gods started chasing various trends, and now they are more or less treated like pop idols. So yeah, this probably is not a show you watch for realistic theology, but it definitely fits the tone of the story and makes for an amusing story for this episode. Overall, this episode is as charming and relaxing as I remember Killing Slimes to be, which is all I need for the start of a new season.
claire
Welcome back, chilling with slimes crew! I was a big fan of the first season, which surprised me with how resonant its episodes were occasionally. And the new season picks right back up without missing a beat, and with only a short, sweet recap before diving into some new chill life lessons about the joys of cooking, the power of patience, and…how being biased as a god can lead to your demotion??? Well, ok, so not all the messages land! Regardless, it’s great to see the gang back again, enjoying the small things in life and loving being a family so very much! Yay!
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Kowloon Generic Romance
First Impression: Claire
if I’m honest, it’s pretty generic, at least for the first 23 minutes. Kudo is a bit of an ass, and Kujirai is mostly fretful and meek (with the occasional demonstration of backbone), but also super hot now and then in order to provide those panty shots and sweat-glistening midriff and chest shots, eyeroll, and of course she is in love with Kudo for some unknown reason, double eyeroll. Are we calling this romance?! BUT thankfully, there are an extra two minutes in this premiere episode, and it’s really those final two minutes—which I’ve resisted spoiling above—that save the day. There are a couple of hints earlier on as well, but it isn’t until the final minute that the episode shows its hand, as it were, and signals that we aren’t going to have to wait episode upon episode for this to turn into something more interesting than a generic “romance”. As mentioned, the art is pretty stunning, and the hints of sci-fi are intriguing, so, as long as we see some character development getting underway soonish for the two leads, I’ll stick around.
Twwk
First impression pieces require us to make some sort of judgment based on just one episode—and that’s hard to do with a high degree of accuracy. Thankfully, I have many volumes of source material to also help me make a judgment, and it’s this: this anime is a failure. Reason 1: The adaptation. It all feels discombobulated and mismatched, and not in a good sort of way. For example, the music was either way too loud or not present at all when it could have helped create the nostalgic vibe the series is going for. And although characters are drawn with vibrancy and the glimpses of Kowloon are pretty, the animation fails in conveying any more sense for the nostalgic tone than what the source material provides for it—which is in the character designs and their angular lines, the 90s-ish setting, and the city itself. There was no smoothness to the episode, either; the overall direction was just poor. Reason 2: The manga. What Jun Mayuzuki does best, other than creating beautiful characters (see After the Rain), is to evoke a feeling of nostalgia—imbued with that sense of sorrow, fragility, and loss the word conveys—and carry it through the entire series. What Mayuzuki-sensei doesn’t do well, unfortunately, is write a sci-fi mystery. I ultimately dropped the manga because the layers that unraveled were unsatisfactory, and the characters—with whom Claire didn’t vibe in this initial episode—didn’t get a whole lot more lovable or interesting as the series continued. There’s a lot of love out there for Kowloon Generic Romance, but I think it ultimately falls flat; the anime, it seems like, is already doing the same.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Lazarus
First Impression: Josh
Even though the premise is more farfetched than a Pokemon, it’s still very intriguing. A Global Ticking Clock for Humanity, with the only chance being a group of ragtag misfits gathered from all over, is a storyline I can sink my teeth into. When coupled with gorgeous animation, a stylish soundtrack, and an excellent voice cast, I really think there’s a lot to like here, and from what I’ve seen, this has the potential to be yet another one of those memorable anime that Shinichiro Watanabe has graced us with. If you have a Max membership or if you are free late on Saturday night, you owe it to yourself to give this one a try!
twwk
Bang! Shinichiro Watanabe is back, baby! Can you tell I’m excited? And with good reason—episode one of Lazarus was excellent. So much style (natch) and incredible animation (natch)! MAPPA did a great job with the CGI, too, which is plentiful but well-used in the series. It’s only available in dub right now; the dub can’t live up to the great early ones of Watanabe’s work, but it’s still good. Luci Christian particularly shines as one of the supporting characters; the intonation and layers to her voice are unreal—you can see why she’s one of the all-time greats. I should note that I do share Josh’s concerns about the story. The setup sounds fun (doctor unleashes ticking time clock virus through a miracle drug everyone has used), but I just can’t suspend disbelief with this one—how could no one have caught this? How could this possibly even work? It feels incredibly stupid. I hope I can buy into the story soon because with everything else, I’m fully in.
Airs weekly on Adult Swim and streams the day after on HBO Max. In the UK, it’s streaming on Channel 4.
Maebashi Witches
First Impression: Claire
…this is a decent CGDCT series, neither offensive nor particularly compelling, with the potential for some mild mystery and copious warm fuzzies. These ingredients—and even the more urgent mystery as to why on earth Yuina is using a disposable camera—are not enough to have me tuning in again, but I think it would hit the spot quite nicely if you’re looking for some sweet confectionery to enjoy at the end of a long day.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX – Beginning
First Impression: Jake
You can totally feel Hideaki Anno’s hand in crafting the narrative—deconstructing the Gundam franchise and introducing spiritual themes. The first 30 minutes feel like Evangelion with the look of 80s and 90s Gundam, but then it shifts gears hard to quirky and colorful characters who look like they are straight out of FLCL. The whiplash of the theatrical cut was a bit frustrating, leaving me wondering what the point was… Although adjusting to the change of pace was difficult, the story never ceased to intrigue me. Amate’s dialogue hints at the themes of the series: “The heavens aren’t over our heads, but under our feet. Those of us born in the colonies know nothing of real gravity or real skies. Or naturally, of real seas.”
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
mono
First Impression: Jeskai
I’ve seen anime about high school girls in clubs. I’ve seen anime about mangaka. This is shaping up to be some sort of weird fusion of those genres. And I am totally on board with it! Unlike Green Eggs and Ham: The Anime, I thought this was genuinely cute and charming and silly in equal measures. As added bonuses, the characters never got on my nerves or felt like they were yelling at me, and the episode had some really pretty visuals. I think this show has a lot of potential, and I definitely recommend giving it a shot. It’s one of the more promising premieres I’ve watched this season.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Moonrise
First Impression: Claire
…this was a solid opener for a beautifully animated sci-fi epic! Nice work, Wit Studio. The animation is excellent, as to be expected, with some really quite stunning outer space establishing shots and landscapes (moonscapes? spacescapes?) in the OP. The compositing on the CG transportation (monorail, sports car, yacht) is very good, coming close to nullifying the uncanny feeling that usually comes with mixing animation formats. The character designs are distinctive while remaining realist in style, and, thanks to the flashback, we already have a foretaste of the character growth to come, not just for Jack, but for his friends, love interest, and even, possibly, a Moon dweller or two. Opening with a teaser of the future like this is pretty standard, but it works well here, setting up questions that will take at least another three or four (and maybe more) episodes to begin to answer.
Streaming on Netflix.
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes
First Impression: Gaheret
Though Vigilantes hasn’t made the case just yet that these alternative superheroes are also needed in this world, I think it will have no difficulty doing so: crime never sleeps, and those who specifically know the area may have an advantage over an outsider. Koichi is already a different enough narrative voice from Izuku Midoriya: He’s more resigned, less emotional, more worldly. It seems he will be a guiding light to Knuckleduster just as much as the grinning rescuer was for him, which is the classic Robin arc. The graphics are as good as ever, and so is the music. The comic-style onomatopoeia effects are a welcome addition. My only real complaint is Pop☆Step’s swimsuit-style outfit, but hey, you can’t have everything. Here we go again! Plus ultra!
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
A Ninja and an Assassin Under One Roof
First Impression: Gaheret
There is something about this world that feels childish, incomplete. In some weird way, it reminds me of Gaslight, the 1944 black-and-white movie that originated the expression “gaslighting”: an impossibly naive kid who sees unicorns and rainbows becoming the servant of a cold-blooded psychopath. I want my tragedies black, no sugar, no cream. So, no thanks.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Once Upon a Witch’s Death
First Impression: Jeskai
…the premise here really is promising. This episode touches on the topics of life and death, the intersection of joy and grief, and emotional healing. Yes, it’s a bit of a tearjerker, but not in a grimdark way. The melancholy tone and the way Meg pursues her own healing by helping others find healing actually reminded me just a little bit of Violet Evergarden. Also, the story seems to be set in a world very close to our own, rather than an entirely original fantasy world; we see pictures of the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower. I don’t know if the narrative will make much use of that setting, but it piqued my interest. And Meg is a likeable and somewhat goofy protagonist who helps bring together the lighter and weightier aspects of the story.
claire
Ok, I’m going to admit it: I have Hopes for this one! And I also have Theories. It’s a pretty simple setup, with nice animation, fine characters, and a decent dash of worldbuilding. But what has me in expectant mode is the type of journey Meg Raspberry (such a great name) has embarked upon: she is literally learning compassion and humility. What’s more, I suspect her instructor/guardian Faust is up to some pretty pointed scheming here too—designed for Meg’s benefit—so I’m anticipating a pretty meaningful character arc for the teen as a result. Can’t wait to see what she learns next week! Count me in on this one.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Rock is a Lady’s Modesty
First Impression: Claire
Well now, that was unexpected…! This was a pretty fun mashup of genres, with the parodic, mildly romantic vibes of shoujo ai, juxtaposed with the rough and tumble—and at times outright crudity—of a grungy rock shonen battle, all wrapped up with the ribbon of a fish out of water comedy. And it works surprisingly well! Lilisa is a charming lead, thanks largely to the charisma of her VA, Akira Sekine, who lets loose with convincing vigor. Also, there’s her hair. I don’t know how she manages to keep her chin up as she sports what must be the heaviest head of most impossible hair to ever grace anime—more impossible even than a magical girl in full transformation mode—but there we go. Her do basically takes up half the hallway. Meanwhile, the princess’s personality gap is really quite shocking! Let’s just say the final five minutes of the episode go full metal—both in terms of the language in use and a particularly racy simile that reminds us that the true motto of Rock ’n’ Roll culture is decidedly not about a lady’s modesty. This is one for the parents, not the children.
Streaming on HiDIVE.
The Shiunji Family Children
First Impression: stardf29
“Pseudo-incest harem romcom from the creator of Rent-a-Girlfriend” sounds like the most disastrous combination possible, but let’s give the creator the benefit of the doubt and see if there’s anything worth talking about in this anime’s premiere. One thing’s for sure: the creator’s history with trashy romcoms is showing here as well. We’ve got some fanservice, a bunch of typical character traits for the girls (cool older sister, quiet smart glasses girl, tsundere, energetic sports girl, and shy girl), and some misunderstanding-fueled slapstick. However, we also have some surprisingly good moments as the siblings reflect on how their father’s announcement affects them, which helps them come across as less one-dimensional.
Josh
I should’ve known. The warning signs were RIGHT THERE. When I saw that this story was from the same person who did Rent-A-Girlfriend, I should’ve known this show would be foolish, and I was not wrong. The Shiunji Family Children, while not AS bad, is still prodigiously bad. I mean, even if you find a way to justify or put aside the “incest-but-not-really” angle of this show, this feels like your bog-standard harem anime with all the standard, played-out tropes. And at times, it can be so freaking lazy with its narrative. Instead of letting us learn about this family throughout the episode or the series, the younger brother, Shion, spends about a minute telling Arata about his own “sisters” in a blatant introduction scene that feels shoehorned in. Why are you telling your brother about his own sisters?! Also, Shion, in a conversation with Ouka towards the end of the episode, states out of the blue, “Hey, we can even get married now,” it’s just so face-palming bad! Like, why would you JUMP to that?! You literally just found out the people you thought were your siblings are now (mostly) genetic strangers, and you decide that NOW is a good idea to say, “Hey, marriage is on the table!” And don’t get me started with the dad in this series who decided to wait all these years to tell his kids that they were adopted and picks the occasion of A BIRTHDAY DINNER to drop that bomb. This whole family is screwed up…and so is this anime. This show makes The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You look like Absolute Cinema. More power to you if you stick around for this one, but as for me and my house, we shall pass expeditiously.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentōshō
First Impression: Gaheret
There’s a lot to like here: I have to praise the subtle storytelling, the strong, relatable characters, the fights, the ambience, and the bold twists and turns of the plot. However, I must warn you that the show pulls no punches: Expect to feel numb and incredulous among mutilations and sprayed blood, as well as dark and disturbing innuendo. It’s been a while since I was this horrified at a plot point. Nevertheless, the instances of relatable human emotion and the nobility of the main characters shine through, providing some balance for me.
Twwk
In his review, Gaheret notes that this is an “historical fantasy novel adaptation,” and I think that’s really important for understanding the tone of this series. It’s like Demon Slayer, but more grounded in reality. The end of the episode feels a bit like Inuyasha, but more serious. What you get are bits and pieces of what one might expect out of “demon slaying” series, but with a tone that’s more usual for a supernatural mystery series. And that, to me, is very compelling, as it the the final minute of the episode, which, to me, helped to recover for the previous 15, which—while featuring material that is certainly going to be talked about across social media and sets the stage for all that’s to come—didn’t quite hit as strongly as it would have, had this been a typical shonen adventure series. I preferred, instead, the slow building throughout the episode—bits of foreshadowing in the script, subtle music, excellent sound effects (clings and clanks), and the wonderful use of vintage colors. I’m interested to see how the series proceeds because even after a double-length first episode, it feels like there are a lot of ways this show could go, including straight to the top of this season’s offerings.
claire
I do love a historical series! The first three-quarters of this one gave me Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit vibes, which is a very good thing indeed, and then it went into full-on tragic mode, which in itself, has a kind of value, but it also worries me for what is to come. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy a dash of Shakespearean tragedy—as frustrating as it can be (“Why can’t they just have a conversation! USE YOUR WORDS not your sword!!! Arrrggg!”)—now and then. But my fear here is that the tone and pace that I enjoyed so much in the premiere will take a sharp turn into something more…mundane once we get into the regular episodes, making this yet another series with an excellent extended premiere, followed by a rather run-of-the-mill, genre-trope-upholding season (ahem, Oshi no Ko, cough). I’ll definitely give another two episodes to see how it does post-premiere, but I’m a bit on the fence. One thing worth noting: Reina Ueda, the VA for Suzune, does a masterful job with that character’s breakdown; hard to believe this is our sweet Miyo!
Streaming on HIDIVE.
Summer Pockets
First Impression: Josh
You might find something here if you’re a fan of visual novels adapted into anime. If you’re a fan of harems, then you might find a bit more to like, as this show is undoubtedly going down that path. As for me, this feels too slow and boring to keep up with in the long term. It’s like sitting through a long, drawn-out introduction scene in a video game, but you can’t press X to speed through the conversation and get to an option. I might come back for another episode or two to see if there’s any improvement, but my hopes remain low. To me, this show can’t seem to shake its origins, and by extension, it makes for a series that might be better played on a console than viewed on a TV.
twwk
Josh is absolutely right in expressing that this series has a heavy, HEAVY visual novel feel. feel., the studio that produces this series, didn’t seem to invest in adapting it more properly as an anime. But maybe this was a choice? I would say that Key adaptations have largely been failures since Clannad After Story, with Summer Pockets feeling like a throwback to those earlier anime. It doesn’t sparkle like those—the laughs are a little fewer, the writing a little less sharp, and the animation duller—but the warmth and familiarity are there. I’ll take this any day over Jun Maeda’s attempts to do something different and new. For the first time in many years, I have high hopes for a Key series!
claire
I’ll admit, I’m coming at this without any nostalgia for Key series—anime or VN format—and a decided disdain for harems, but come on guys, this was sooooo dull! Three minutes in, and I was already wishing the story would follow the random oba-san from the ferry rather than the eye-rollingly melodramatic and self-important protag. What’s all this nonsense about being wounded by life and ruined at the age of twelve (it looks like) because, what? He’s not on the swim team anymore or something? Whatever, kid, get over yourself. But there’s no hope of that happening since no less than five Mysterious Beauties are already falling over themselves for him, and there’s at least one more to come, according to the OP. And what’s with the scummy subtext when that girl thinks he’s assaulting her and just responds by telling him to “go slow at first”?! Yipes. This ain’t gonna be my first Key series, that’s for sure.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Teogonia
First Impression: Gaheret
The dialogue kills it. This would have been an awesome episode (with a cool name! Teogonia, the birth of the gods. Go Hesiod!) if the subtitles had somehow disappeared. The music is on point, the character designs are above average, and the settings feel authentic. The monsters are unique and threatening, if a bit goofy. But from the moment these characters open their mouths, all we hear is terrible “as you know, Bill” dialogue where they repeat the same concept again and again, following no logic but the plot’s.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
The Too-Perfect Saint: Tossed Aside by My Fiancé and Sold to Another Kingdom
First Impression: Jeskai
What really intrigues me with this opening episode is the portrayal of Mia. We’ve seen these Cinderella-esque stories of a mistreated child before. In them, it’s common that the non-main-character sibling is a two-faced schemer, putting on a charming front while stabbing the protagonist sibling in the back. But I think maybe we’ll see a subversion of expectations here. It’s hard to be sure, since Mia only gets a couple scenes, plus what we hear other characters say about her…but I got the feeling that she might genuinely love and adore her older sister. It sets up the possibility of some really interesting fallout when she finds out what their dastardly parents and the prince did to her. That alone is enough to make me want to see more. Besides that, I’m sure the inevitable story of Philia learning about love and finding meaning in a new place will be heartwarming, and while the animation was average, there were some really pretty backgrounds and strong music. I recommend trying this one.
claire
This one surprised me! I was expecting a bog standard “exploited and disregarded in one kingdom, finds love and respect in neighbouring kingdom” type series, and, well, it does do that; however, as Jeskai points out, the little sister Mia and her characterization as being genuinely fond of her older sister, the pointedly named Philia, really saves the day here. I want to tune in again for these sisters, even if it means waiting five or six weeks for their paths to cross again (as doubtless it will). But Philia is interesting in her own right, too, as it strikes me that she could very well be on the autistic spectrum, as she seems to be dealing with alexithymia, or difficulty in reading and expressing emotion. If this is handled well, the series could prove quite meaningful in how it tells the story of her navigating a new world of relationships and emotions. I’ll be checking in on this one every few weeks to see how this tale of filial love unfolds…
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
To Be Hero X
First Impression: Gaheret
Superhero stories (one of my favorite genres) come in all shapes and sizes, and this one inhabits a space between The Boys and Megamind, with its marketing-oriented heroes and the gap between reality and public image. The theme makes the story feel very contemporary: There is something very recognizable about Lin Ling’s life as a young loner without roots, consumed by his jobs, without a house or a community, interacting with all these inspiring public characters and doubting whether everything is marketing or there are genuine symbols out there that might provide inspiration and guidance. To make trust and fear increase the power of superheroes and supervillains, respectively, is a stroke of genius and makes for tense and uncertain battles. The last development, which I won’t spoil here, leads us into darker territory…
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray
First Impression: Claire
This new series, Cinderella Gray, kicks off a whole new storyline and cast of characters and so far, seems set to showcase what makes the CygamesPictures iteration of the franchise so great: Sharp writing, tragic backstories, and most of all, stellar animation with its signature forced perspective hero-making shots and golden hour training sequences. Honestly, go watch the mini-series if you haven’t already, because if this is what we’re in for with Cinderella Gray, then you’re not going to want to miss it, assuming you’re a fan of good storytelling and stunning art. (Though this premiere is also a great entry point into the franchise and doesn’t require familiarity with the main storyline.)
Streaming on It’s Anime powered by REMOW.
The Unaware Atelier Meister
First Impression: Jeskai
Have you seen this before? Yes, you have. This show appears to be an adequate but unremarkable take on the premise. I have to wonder whether Kurt will get over his obliviousness to how great he is. It’s supposed to be “funny,” but it’s a shtick that gets old extremely fast; if the show tries to keep milking it for so-called humor, I’m out. I think the other big factor in whether I watch this show will be how the rest of the anime season shapes up. If this proves to be a stacked season with a bunch of shows I want to watch, I suspect this will be one of the first that I drop to make time for the others.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Witch Watch
First Impression: Twwk
The manga has a strong emotional foundation rooted in the characters’ sweet and kind personalities, and though the anime leans into that as well, the shifts from the basic rom-com setup to more heartfelt moments felt abrupt and thus not as moving as they should have been. There are also hints at bigger action and more sinister things to come which, to me, are by far the weakest parts of the manga. Of note as well is Kawaguchi’s voicing of Nico; it’s very infantile and often screechy. She’s perfect for the younger Nico, but is overall miscast for the role of a teenager. Despite these weak aspects, I still found the first three episodes of this adaptation to be cute and entertaining. The animation was good and the ending music was merry and joyful (though we didn’t get a full ED or hear the opening in the theatrical presentation). This is the type of series that is so warm and energetic that it can break your mood and raise your spirits if you’re having a rough day.
Josh
Okay, finally, a really good sweet show this season! So far, it looks like Witch Watch is going to be that sweet little piece of anime candy to get us through this anime season. This show puts me in the mind of 2016’s Flying Witch, mixed with a touch of 2008’s Soul Eater; two shows I love and adore. I love the chemistry between Nico and Morihito, reminding me a lot of Maka and Soul from the aforementioned Soul Eater. While I did roll my eyes a bit at how easily they shuttled Morihito’s father away on that typical “business trip” that most anime parents seem to go on in shows like this, I think I can overlook it in this situation, especially since it looks like this story will have some dramatic substance as hinted at in the last few minutes of the episode. As I’ve said before, if you can get me to laugh, you’ve got me for a few episodes, and this one certainly did that in spades. Let’s see where this story goes!
Jeskai
Well, that was indeed amusing. The humor is of a ridiculous, slapstick sort (“My future girlfriend turned into paper so I punched a hole through a wall and then we magically fixed it with another guy’s mohawk”), but it was reasonably entertaining, at least in a small dose like a single episode. It’s one absurdity after another, and I feel like this premiere danced along the line between “funny” and “dumb.” I can see the series turning out to be pretty good, or winding up just being annoying. I’ll give it another episode or two before I make a decision.
Streaming on Netflix and Crunchyroll.
Yaiba: Samurai Legend
First Impression: Josh
…the animation of this show is fluid and pleasant to look at. Wit Studio did the dawggone thing with this show. It’s very much Detective Conan in style, looking like an anime from the 90s but with motion and clarity of the modern day. The opening titles almost move a little TOO fast for my tastes as they go from one character and scene to another without giving you a chance to focus on one thing. I guess they’re trying to capture the essence of our main character—just a ball of prodigious energy and unrestrained chaos. The song “Blade” by Blue Encount matches these crazy visuals well, while “Pineapple Tart” by Otoha is very sweet and goes well with the simple visuals. No word on a dub yet, but one might come down the pike sooner or later.
Streaming on Netflix and Hulu.
Yandere Dark Elf: She Chased Me All the Way From Another World
First Impression: Josh
…I would highly, HIGHLY recommend that you stay the heck away. You will find NOTHING redeeming here. To me, this show is trash. Ain’t two ways about it. Straight-up trash. The uninspired storyline, the trope-filled fanservice characters, and the sub-par effort put into the animation are not worth wasting 11 minutes watching this one. Use your 12 minutes doing something better like, I don’t know, having a prodigious walk with your dog, taking out the trash, starting on your taxes (by the way, Tax Day is Tuesday, April 15th), playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons for a while, ANYTHING but watch this absolute garbage show.
Streaming on HIDIVE.
Your Forma
First Impression: Claire
the anime adaptation begins with the second volume of the LN, well beyond the manga, so color me surprised! As a result, this feels more like the first episode of a second season rather than a series premiere. There is a sum total of zero infodumps—only a single sentence at the beginning of the OP defines Amicus and the Laws of Respect. Instead, we get mysterious montages and a great many visual clues as to how this version of the world is different from our own and the barest of hints as to why (I won’t spoil it!). In other words, the episode excels at the “show, don’t tell” approach to visual storytelling—and in this, as well as the cool brain diving sequence, it very much recalls that classic of anime sci-fi, Ghost in the Shell. You definitely need to pay attention as a viewer, and also be willing to sit with unknowns for the time being. Fortunately, the animation is of a quality that makes it easy to watch closely (and rewatch), with catchy layouts and fascinating reflection shots, while the background art is very well researched, making St Petersburg and London easily recognizable even without the location captions. (GeoGuessrs, assemble!) The voice acting is solid too, with Kana Hanazawa as Echika and Kensho Ono as Harold. The fact that the two are married in real life adds a bit of fun to their interactions…
Your Forma is licensed for streaming on Samsung TV Plus in the U.S. and Canada, and on It’s anime powered by REMOW on YouTube everywhere else
Zatsu Tabi (That’s Journey)
First Impression: Claire
Guys, this is quintessential iyashikei right here! These 23 minutes are refreshing, inspiring in a relaxed way, and downright healing! It’s Yuru Camp for grown-ups, without the stress of wrestling rogue tent poles or braving cold winds. All the little details of Suzugamori’s trip are documented gently, from the trains she takes to the cost of tickets and entrance fees to attractions, to (of course) what she eats along the way. A mellow-voiced narrator slips in some key historical context, advice, and the occasional encouraging axiom, keeping things interesting amid the leisurely pace. I can see that each episode will be a mini education on some corner of Japan; I can also see this series quickly becoming a pilgrimage route informing tourists’—international and Japanese alike—own journeys off the beaten path. The animation is, frankly, gorgeous, particularly the backgrounds.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
