07.31
Deca-Dence
So here’s a show with some nice world-building, a lot of attention to detail, and something grander clearly in the works. But it doesn’t connect together, and I just sat there thinking this show should be blowing me away but isn’t for some reason. Then I realized, “Wait! I’ve seen this first episode before over a decade ago.” Post-apocalyptic world. Main character’s stuck in a bottom of the barrel job. Her mentor is played by Katsuyuki Konishi. Giant monsters and mecha appear. Those familiar sunglasses make a blink and you’ll miss it cameo. The fucking font. Even the girls who made fun of Simon are here. It’s just Gurren Lagann. The problem is, I’ve already watched Gurren Lagann. If I want to watch more Gurren Lagann, I’ll just rewatch that. Or perhaps I’ll rewatch Kill La Kill, or Promare. Or the many other attempts to copy Gurren Lagann.
But even worse, this feels like if Gonzo remade Gurren Lagann. Why would anyone want that? The whole episode seems like it could’ve been cool, except it’s following the wrong characters. I didn’t dislike Natsume, but the show could have gained some much needed momentum if they focused on one of the many other fifty characters this show introduces in the premiere. Sounds like a self-imposed challenge. Make a grand sweeping post-apocalyptic plot, but focus on the cleaners instead of the soldiers. And I’m not against that, but the episode doesn’t execute that well. Instead of proving that side of post-apocalyptic life can be just as interesting, it only convinces me the show’s focusing on the wrong cast. But maybe the second episode will–*watches second episode*–wait, what the fuck? – Marquis
Gibiate
Oh joy, an anime about a pandemic that cripples the world, survivors think it’s all a global conspiracy, and the main character’s trying to find a vaccine. If it weren’t for anime taking months if not years of pre-production, I’d wonder how timely this is meant to be. But then the show rapidly degenerates into insanity about time traveling samurai, and the virus turning people into animals, which would be fine and might turn into something fun, but the animation is awful. This is the most slideshow looking anime I’ve seen in a while, and it’s even more disappointing when seeing the pedigree of the staff. It’s just badly-animated sword fights and plodding exposition, when all of the individual parts could have been their own episode and we could have gotten a smoother ride. What’s this show trying to be? – Marquis
The God of High School
After Tower of God last season, anime decided they wanted to adapt more manhwa. Which would be cool and mean we get to see some new things, except it’s a manhwa tribute to shonen action series like Dragonball Z. That isn’t bad, but it’s almost like if Hollywood started adapting tons of foreign properties but only the ones that strongly resembled Iron Man. A fun aesthetic you don’t usually see in other anime, but the actual story within is something you’ve already seen before time and time again. And it makes these anime clusterfucks less fun if the show I’m talking about turns out to be a retread of something I’ve seen just a year or even a few months ago. Of course, it’s completely unfair to judge a work by its first episode, it’s just that for most anime, the first few episodes are the defining part of the show, particularly in a one-cour show where three episodes is a whole quarter of the story. And if it’s not that, and we’re in for the long haul, you have to wait until episode 20-something out of an expected episode count of over a hundred for an anime to find its groove. And seeing as God of High School wears its influences on its sleeve, I hope it doesn’t take after the worst parts of its predecessors. – Marquis
Misfit of Demon King Academy
Oh boy, here’s another trashy light novel anime with your overpowered main character, and your magic high school, and your supporting characters who never react like normal people would. “Hey, this guy killed and resurrect me 8 times over with a couple words and a snap of his fingers. I’ll keep harassing him like I have any chance at victory.” It’s absolute nonsense that batters you with stupid shit after stupid shit, and there’s not even a hint of irony to any of this. Why yes, our main character Anus Voldemort is the reincarnation of a 2000-year-old demon who still needs to go to high school even though he clearly doesn’t need it. And yeah, he’s a month old and has a teenager’s body during the first episode. And indeed, he has a love interest who doesn’t seem shocked or fazed by any of what’s going on. Does she care that she’s interested in someone who’s technically 2000 years old and a baby at the same time? Heavens no. This is just some guy’s barely incoherent power fantasy that an anime studio for some reason decided to adapt.
And I liked it. Not a single moment of this episode was boring, unlike other power fantasies like Mahouka. It’s horribly stupid that I can’t take seriously whatsoever, but at least it got to the point quicker than most shows of its kind. This main character kills somebody with just his heartbeat. That’s more inspired than yet another MC who uses a magic sword or makes circles that shoot out lasers. I’m sure the show will grow dull and eventually loathsome once it pretends to have a plot and falls into the trappings of other magic high school shows, but for now, it’s a fun conversation piece. – Marquis
Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out!
Yet another show that people will posts screencaps and memes of when it airs, but by the time it ends, it’ll already be a distant memory and the closest recollection will be “Hey, remember that show with the big boobs? No, the other one. The other one. The one with the ugly cat. No, the other one with the ugly cat. Yeah, that one. That’s the one”. A show most anime fans will only hear about thanks to tweets and posts from their friends instead of a firsthand watch, and I can’t blame them. Once you get past the gimmick that this guy has an annoying girlfriend, what’s left to say? It’s just so boring. – Marquis