First Impressions: Fall 2017

We are well into October and yet the weather thinks we are still in the dead of summer. Still new anime has started to air and here are my first impressions...

But first!

Ground rules

1. I will TRY to give every show on Crunchyroll a chance but that doesn't mean i am obligated to watch a full episode. If i stop early i will give a time stamp and reason for stopping. I will not be looking at shows on Netflix or Amazon's anime Strike because the former won't simulcast and the latter Is just too much of a pain and expense to set up.

2. No shows that are under 20 minutes in length, i don't like waiting a whole week for a 3 min gag. there are some exceptions but it's rare.

3. No shows with Brother, Sister, Father or Mother in the title... too often it goes into incest... which i really do not like.

4. If the show is a second season of a show i didn't watch before I'm not going to talk about it here.

5. No card game shows, i may give them a chance but they really aren't my thing.

6. All opinions are my own and based solely on what i have seen. I tend to go into these shows completely blind. If i don't enjoy the show after 1 episode or even quit out of an episode early I'm not saying the show is bad... just that i didn't enjoy it.

Returning Shows.

Elegant Yokai Apartment

Ok I'll admit this show took like... 3/4 of last season to figure out what it's about... but i still enjoy it. not as good as another show with yokai that i miss terribly but I'm still having fun with it.

Mr. Osomatsu

so about a year and a half ago i watched this show and just fell in love... it's so stupid and i should hate it but it's really funny. Still i never heard anyone talking about it so i figured it didn't do well.
Then i went to japan in May... these Sextuplets were EVERYWHERE. Apparently it's one of the highest grossing shows all time in japan. And honestly I'm not surprised because again the show is so funny. It took quite a long time to get another season but I'm looking forward to this.
and for those wondering my fav matsus are Choromatsu (i mean hiroshi kamiya) and Ichimatsu (whom i identify with far more then i am comfortable admitting)... the others are great but when the story focuses on these two i just get so happy.

Blood Blockade battlefront & Beyond

....
i mean i did watch season one.... i should probably give this one episode...
even though i didn't like the first season...
It's so hard to believe this is the same creator as Trigun... trigun had heart and charm and interest and this.... really doesn't.
And now it doesn't even have bump of chicken...
Yeah sorry this is a pass for me... i can't do another 12 episodes of this show.

March come in like a Lion

YAY! I'm so happy this show is back.
This show is as visually stunning and heartfelt as the first season and i really look forward to more.

New Shows!

THE IDOLM@STER Side M

The hit game but with male idols instead of female ones?
look i haven't really been able to get into idol anime cause... honestly the whole Idol thing kinda creeps me out. at first i thought it was just cute and innocent and people were having fun but yeah.. i think the culture around it really gives me the creeps.
This show seems to be addressing some of the less desirable aspects of Idol culture BUT... it also seems to have a lot of info from the Original IdolM@ster anime which i haven't seen so yeah lots is just going over my head.
I will give it props for relying more on drawing the guys dancing over freak CG models (they are used but not as much as a sow like Love Live season 1 used em)
Still probably not going to watch but who knows, we will see.

Black Clover

Crunchyroll is pushing this show hard... so lets see if it's any good or if it's just typical desaturated shonen crap.
I want to enjoy this... but wow Asta has the most annoying voice ever. it's cause he's constantly shout growling and ugh... just stop... please i am hoping this is a good show and you are giving me a headache.
So the plot. In this world magic is everything and everyone can use it.
Well almost everyone.
Yuno and Asta were orphaned in front of a church, 15 years pass and one is a magical genius while the other one can't even seem to use it. However when Grimoires are being passed out it's expected something will awaken inside. Only no one could have predicted this outcome.
Other then Asta's shouting it's an interesting enough concept that I'm willing to give a few more episodes till i make up my mind... honestly not the strongest first episode... maybe if what happens at the end happened at the midway point it would be a different story? still I'm curious.... i just hope there isn't a tournament arc.

JINO TAISEN: ZODIAC WAR

This is a battle royal animal where all the killers have a zodiac animal attached to them.
It's got really fluid animation... but it seems like more of a hyper violent gore fest. All the combatants swallow poison and it will kill them in a day, if the retrieve all the zodiac gems then they win and get to make one wish.
This kind of show has never been my cup of tea cause more often then not all the participants are terrible.
So i'll pass.

SENGOKU NIGHT BLOOD

Idea factory? so... I'm guessing cell phone game or Otome title--- *first male characters show up* otome... for sure
Oh and it's a nobunaga story to boot.. as well as being warped to another world.
i mean... I know Otome titles can be full of cliches but this is like it's trying to get them all at once... it's kinda impressive.
Anyways i hate to admit it but I'm a sucker for these pretty reverse harems... even though it ends up hurting me in the end more often then not I'm sure... uh... *looks up name* . . . uh... female protagonist (i shit you not that's the best they could do) will be... full of interesting character or something....
 ...
ok yeah probably not... she's barely even giving a shit that she's in another world.
but hey, a supernatural boy (yeah i forgot to mention that they are werewolves and vampires right?) where there is a decent amount of blood and violence in what is essentially a dating sim for girls? yeah sure lets give this another episode.

Love is Like a Cocktail

It's a 3 min gag show about alcohol.
Though I will say when someone says "I'm not good with alcohol" and you say drink up... yeah that's a really shitty thing to do.
granted alcohol culture in japan is different then here... i still wish people would respect boundaries.
but yeah pass.

KONOHANA KITAN

Do you want to see cute girls work at an Ryokan? Was Hanasaku Iroha lacking in animal ears? then this show may be for you. Also ugh the whole "i can bath myself" sexual harassment thing is so old and can we not? Overall the show is cute but it is a bit too much for me to stomach. I prefer a show like Hanasaku Iroha where there was a bit of weight to why she was at the inn. this is just too cute for me.

URAHARA

uhhhhh
um...
Ok so.... harajuku.... and uh... aliens and... um...
maybe this is all just a fever dream? I mean every season has at least one show like this but yeah... it's uh..... very unique.
Oddly it seems to fall into the cute girls doing nothing trope as well as possibly magical girls? but yeah this just isn't my cup of tea but if you like batshit crazy give it a try.

TSUKIPRO THE ANIMATION

More idol anime.
Corrention - More CG idol anime... the cg looks better then I've seen but still.... yeah it's not good. At least they are using the models in order to utilize the freedom the camera has?
Hell when they are far away it looks good just... no close ups please.
for being idols that seem to be gaining popularity they seem to have a ton of free time.
This is a... docomo ad? i mean... anything is possible with anime but you would think Docomo wouldn't need it...
It's literally like "oh look how perfect we are but we are troubled by pressure here's a song... now ad time... song... oh man shower montage.
like at least the other idol story had a plot... at least more then "we are pretty but troubled"
oh wait no... we find out why they are troubled and they all make peace with it... so yeah... no plot.
the music is good but yeah... I prefer a bit more plot.

King's Game

At first i thought it was a battle royal type situation but instead it's more like it's title implies.
If you've seen Persona 4's anime you've see a kings game, people draw straws, one person is the king and they tell two other numbers to do something, the two holding those numbers then have to do the thing. Though in this case it's more like some absolute being that always gets to be king... and if you don't do the thing in question you are killed.
to what end or what the reward is for surviving the game hasn't been made clear.
Also (this could just be fore the start of the game) the orders seem innocent but probably difficult for a high school student to do.
I have a feeling this show is a neat concept that will have a lacklustre or non-existent conclusion. I may watch more but it's really gory so if you have a weak stomach stay away.

Recovery of an MMO Junkie

normally I'd be dreading a show like this... but the title of the episode has me intrigued. Also the intro song is really good. The ending is also really good... anyways synopsis time!
After dropping out of Cor-porate life Morioka Morito declares herself an Elite Neet and stays at home playing an MMO since the last one she was on closed it's servers.
After creating a male character in game she's off to do quests and... well she's terrible at it, constantly dying.
Eventually an adorable white mage takes pity oh the poor swordsman and the two become fast friends.
Of course all the characters are in decently close proximity to eat other but since none of them are like their characters they never seem to figure it out. It's a fairly cute show and i look forward to giving it a few more epiosdes... i hope it continues to charm and well... hopefully it doesn't pull a gamers and lose it's plot 6 episodes in.
Yeah I'm still not thrilled about that.

Dies Irae

The main art on the poster looks like a show i already watched an episode of a few seasons ago....
Coincidence but yeah it just looks so familiar.
Ok... well this is easily one of the worst shows i have seen in a while.
being all over the place with no real plot is problem enough... but you know this piece of shit couldn't stop there.
No it had to go be set in 39.... from the perspective of a certain group that is making a lot of noise lately.  it seems like it'll just be this episode that focuses on them but yeah that is a shit first impression to make. I mean none of the characters on the poster showed up so who knows... but yeah not sticking around to find out.
So yeah... in short i hope this show completely fails... I'm sad Junichi Suwabe is connected with it but yeah will not be watching.

Kino's Journey

I mean technically this should be in returning? anyways it's going here cause it's been like at least a decade (probably more) since i saw the older anime.... and i remember loving it (even if a certain episode destroyed me.
Still i am REALLY looking forward to this show.
And it doesn't disappoint.
Kino is a traveller, he spends three days in each new place... no more no less.
it's a hard life but he can stop at any time... for now him and his talking motorcycle travel.
the show is episodic and absolutely stunning and i can't wait for more.

Anime-Gataris

Ever have something you watched as a child stick with you though you can't remember what it is? well that is the starting point of this show. after talking about this anime she can't remember to a friend the blond hair princesstype girl takes an interest in her as a fellow anime fan... too bad the main girl barely knows anything about anime. Still together they work to set up the anime club...
but also talking cat and mind control beret? I think if this was just a show about an anime club it could be good but this extra magical/supernatural layer seems.... unnecessary?
Oh boy second episode goes full on Haruhi Suzumiya... similar music and everything.
but anyways based on first episode there isn't enough there... luckily the second episode is out so maybe that'll make it more interesting.

BLEND-S

What do you do when you are looking for work but you happen to have a really nasty look in your eye? work at a Cafe that has you playing a sadistic character if course.
So yeah it's a comedy show like working except it's in a Cafe and they are playing these characters for the customers. I think it'll be a fun time.

Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~

I actually know this is based off an Otome game... I'm surprised how many of these we are getting in a season... most of the time we are lucky to get even one.
Well she has a name so that is immediately an improvement over most otome adaptations.
Cardia lives alone in a mansion due to the fact everything she touches with bare skin disintegrates thanks to a poison of some kind. The British Army have come to steal her away but Gentleman Arsene Lupin steals her from them. Now she'll live in a mansion with all these pretty boys as the gentleman theif tries to steal her heart.
It's got a nice steam punk feel to it and again... a otome game where the characters aren't just blank slates... they have base names and personalities are so much better in my opinion.
The art is odd in some places... oddly saturated in shadows and things like that but hey I'm a sucker for reverse harems so I'll be giving this a shot.

TWOCAR

It's Moe racing... like... that seems to be it based on the way the show opens.
I'm sure there are other characters (at least at this point i have no clue who the mains are) but this is just not for me at all.

A Sister's all you need.

I know my rule, i just was thinking "maybe my rule is unfair"
so i clicked this.... and the first thing you see is a guy fantasizing about a littler sister waking him up in the morning, sitting on top of him naked.
Now it's obviously a dream sequence (or i should say i hope it's a dream sequence cause i immediately closed the episode) but seriously this is why no shows with sister in the title.
seriously japan get your shit together and bury this awful trope.

EVIL OR LIVE

Internet bad... so is this show... it's just trying so hard to be artsy and yeah this is a quick pass..

The Ancient Magus' Bride

I actually saw the first three episodes in theatre and have known i was going to enjoy this show for a while. Stunning to look at, interesting concept i am so curious to see where it goes. We follow a young girl who is being trained by one of the last remaining magus... he plans to make her his bride. but first we need to learn more about the magical world... so yeah this could possibly be my fav of the season... we will see.

and that is it, this is a season with a lot of stuff to enjoy.

So it looks like I'll be watching

Elegant Yokai Apartment
Mr. Osomatsu 2
The Ancient Magus' Bride
Black clover (tentative)
King's Game (tentative)
Recovery of an MMO Junkie
Kino's Journey
Blend-S
Code: Realize
March Comes in like a Lion

More then I've gotten in the past few seasons so looking forward to it.
what shows are you looking forward to?