Monday 22 October 2018

First Impressions: Fall 2018

It's that time of year again!
But as always some rules.

1. I will not be talking abotu spinoffs or sequels unless I have already seen all previous seasons.
2. No shows with Brother or Sister in the title (Mother and father also count but are far rarer)
3. No shows that are less then 20 minutes long.
4. No card game shows/shows where the only purpose is to sell something (like an app or toys to kids)

Alright with that out of the way.

Returning shows

Angel of death
Returning show may not be the most acurate thing here because we are only missing 4 episodes.
I have no idea why this show felt it needed to be 16 episodes.... the pacing is getting really bad to spread it out BUT.....
I still am curious to see how it all ends.
I just really wish the characters were more interesting. maybe it's different in the game btu the same lines are repeated constantly.

A certain magical Index III
Thanks for the recap... i know I just watched this not too long ago but it was nice getting that info dump.
Oh yeah I forgot that this show has the first episode be more on the fanservicy side... I still think i'll watch the show but not week to week. it's a lot more fun to marathon. especially with the episode ending the way it does.

New shows:

DOUBLE DECKER! DOUG & KIRILL
This show is ugly.... I really hate the look of these mostly CG anime. The show also has the odd tonality. It's trying to be funny but it uh.... isn't.
But yeah it's a buddy cop... erm... detective? anyways buddy cop supernatural thing that is also trying to be funny.
I love that it's so colourful but the CG is awful and I just can't make myself care about any of the characters so far.

RErideD - Derrida, who leaps through time
From the first episode we learn that this is a world full of Automata, robots that make life far simpler. However there is apparently a bug in the latest modle. One that could turn all the robots into crazy killers.
We also find out that Derrida had an idea for a way to travel through time but was never able to make it work.
Through a series of misfortunate events and potential meddling in the timeline Derrida ends up being cryogenically frozen till the year 2050 where it turns out.... yeah the bug did exactly what they feared.
the rest of the show (I assume) will be able making it so this all never happened.
I honestly enjoyed this and i'm at least willing to give it another episode or two.

Xuan Yuan Sword Luminary
The art style is giving me real Tales of vibes but maybe it's just cause I recently beat Zestiria.
So an Idyllic town is murdered by contructs as an empire tries to assert it's dominence.
Childhood friends are separated thinking that the other died in that tragedy.
The boy became a slave building contructs (and other little things in his spare time) and the sisters became a performing duo trying to earn money as they travel.
By chance the elder sister comes across a... uh... shrine? I guess we'll go with shrine for now... she comes across a shrine and gains a "magical" bracelet that allows her to summon a girl and a sword.
The episode ends with the boy no longer a slave and the sisters no longer powerless against the army.
I don't know if I care enough to give this any more episodes. The CG is still pretty prevalent in this show (though only looks bad when it's done to a character instead of a construct) but the show does look ok. I just wasn't really given enough reason to care after an episode.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
*points to title* that is the plot.
I have heard this show can get fanservicy but this first episode was a joy.
Satoru has lived a normal life for 37 years... the only thing that could make it more perfect is a girlfriend.
however when meeting his Kohai for lunch he is stabbed, killed and reincarnated as a lowly slime.
I'm a little tired of the "transported to another world" genre but this honestly looks fun so yeah i'll be giving it a few more episodes.

Run with the Wind
When a deal seems to good to be true it probably is.
After stealing a sandwhich from a convenience store kakeru is chased down by a crazy guy on a bike asking if he likes to run. Next thing he knows he's moving into a dorm pretty much rent free (well pay as you can basis)
however to his (and the other 9 residents) surprise this dorm is actually a university track and field boot camp dorm... the goal is to run the Hakone Ekiden.
I'm on the fence about this one... i'm not the biggest fan of sport anime but there is something intriguing about this. it's well animated with great music and a diverse cast as well as some good humor... i'll probably give it another episode at least... plus having been to hakone i'm kinda curious to see it animated.

Between the Sky and Sea
Ok just from that intro i think i hate this.
So all the fish have vanished... but people still want to eat fish so they make space fisherie planet things and now women are allowed to fish so 6 cutesy girls go to fisk in space.
So... uh... I dislike fish... i hate space and cute girls doing cute shit is my least fav anime genre.
So the main girl that they show is like.... extremely shouty and i'm sorry I just can't. Maybe it's a good show but wow the first 5 minutes are not enjoyable.

Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai
So it's about A bubbny girl time traveller sent to protect an esper boy from an alien witch but then bunny girl changes into a battle maid outfit to fight--
oh thats just.... haruhi Suzumiya ep 0?
oh... well i'd honestly rather be watchign that right now.
Look i wanted to watch this with an open mind. Shows that deal with how confusing puberty is can be well done but... when we are less then 5 mins in al the little sister character is cuddling up to her big bro in bed cause sh'es cold..... look this show is makign itself hard to like.
and while my original description was a joke I don't know how inaccurate is is... there does seem to be something supernatural going on as only he can see the bunny girl sempai and when he writes about her some things are blocked from his vision by appearing censored.
According to this show it's something know as Adolescent Syndrome (or Puberty syndrom if you want to believe the subheader under the title more then crunchy's translation) and it pretty much is strange things happen to people at a certain age. This so far has ranged from wounds appearing out of nowhere to someone who was once famous disappearing from peoples vision and eventually existing at all.
Other then the little sister character this was really good. I'll be honest i nearly turned it off there cause it's just a gross trope. I don't know if it'll continue to be this interesting but i'm willing to give it another episode at least.

Zombie Land Saga
I'll be honest.... even with the title and some of the promo art.... that was not the opening i was expecting.
Oh it's about Saga the prefecture instead of an ongoing saga.
also.... apparently this is an Idol anime.... uh... kinda....
...
I just don't know. It's uh... surprising for sure but don't know if i'll keep watching lol.

BAKUMATSU
one day you are out to steal an artifact that could control the world... the next you are thrown into an alternate universe where things aren't exactly as you remember. also outfits have gotten far moire... fanservicy.
it doesn't seem like a bad show but at the some time but I don't tend to enjoy samurai shows in the first place and there wasn't enough in this first episode to hook me.

Ms. Vampire who lives in my neighborhood
Right off the bat I think it's neat that this show adds a very suvtle grain effect so it looks really cohesive and pretty.
Other then that it's just a goofy comedy Shoujo ai anime full of cute anime girls.
but like... little to no plot... just human meets vampire... human wants to treat vampire like a doll... vampire is tired of human but is also being all tsundere about them leaving.
it's just not my cup of tea.

UzaMaid!
The concept looks cute enough, little girl is annoyed by the overly affectionate Maid...
but then i looked at MAL and this is listed as Shoujo Ai....
sorry... i don't care how cute or well animated it appears to be, i'm not subjecting myself to that when the characters have such an age difference. Like this grown woman litterally falls in love with a child... i hope they just play it as "loves treating her like a doll" but you know what? I've been burned before *side eyes usagi drop* so I cannot stick around to find out.

Hinomaru Sumo
Oh no... lightning from the eyes.... I can't go back to "za zone" again...
. . . and fire too...
anyways there seem to be two major categories of sport anime.
1. The person who wants to be the best but physically can't and have to work 5 times as hard as anyone else to get anhwere but they are rewarded for their hard work.
2. The person has some disadvantage which means no one takes them seriously but they work hard to prove that they are in fact the best.
Find the second kind of sport anime far less enjoyable.
Like... none of the characters are likeable and I honestly don't have any intrest in sumo so pass.

DAKAICHI - I'm being harassed by the sexiest man of the year-
I'm actually surprised by how many shonen ai/shoujo ai shows we've gotten this season. Still this one looks kinda funny..... I really hope they don't fuck it up.
Damn... they fucked it up.
Had this been a show about the guy who dethroned the number 1 actor having a crush on said actor and then having their relationship grow over time as they get to know each other this would have been a really cute show.
instead he tries to rape him in the first episode... sure nothing happened but when the other person says No you stop.... why is that so hard for anime to figure out?

RADIANT
Boy wants to be the best sorcerer in the world.... please yell less then Asta... thats all i ask.
Well the kid is far more likable then the character in balck clover but just going on episode 1 this is just another shonen anime about a kid who has talent but lots of room to grow trying to be the best. episode 1 ends in a cliffhanger so i may give ep 2 a chance but it would need to do something unique or special to get me to watch much more.
After ep 2 yeah it's still just another shonen anime but it's got it's cute moments.

Goblin Slayer
The only thing i know about this show is that Crunchyroll put out an apology for not warning viewers that it contained graphic content. and now theres a notification on the page and a warning at the start.
ok.... yeah.... that was fucking uncalled for.
First of all shame one someone going "yeah this is a thing we should animate"
Second seriously Crunchyroll.... nobody saw that and thought "gee maybe there should be a warning?" they had to be called out.
Third off Fuck this show and shows like it, I get it shocking shit gets a point across but if i'm not going to let shonen ai get away with that bullshit I am certainly not letting you get away with it especially since this was far more explicit.

SSSS. GRIDMAN
I honestly don't know if i can stomach another Trigger anime so soon after Darling in the Franxx
It's a Mech/Kaiju Anime. It seems good and well animated HOWEVER.... out of all the shows trigger has done lately that combo of genres screams "could have sudden aliens" the most so..... after darling i just.... no. I'll wait till it's out and someone has seen it cause i can't do another gurren laggan.
so yeah not a bad show I just know where my phobias lie.

Anima Yell
Cheerleading anime. Pink haired prtag sees a cheerleading squad practive and wants to do it as well. The school she joined unfortunately doesn't have a cheer club so she's got to make one.
however no one wants to join... not even the person who originally inspired her.
But yeah it's a cute show about cheerleading. Not really my cup of tea but better then other shows that focus on moe.

Ulysses: Jeanna d'Arc and the Alchemist Knight
oh no they swore an oath to be friends forever no matter what.... i'm sure nothing will go wrong and they will easily keep that oath.
anyways this is a fantasy reterring of the 100 year war but alchemy is a thing and fairies and honestly after a single episode I would say there isn't a single redeeming things abotu this show.
It's animated poorly, the plot is nothing we haven't seen before and it seems like the only thing they are banking on is fanservice.
Pass.
Oh on the preview has what looks like an adult kissing someone who looks like a child... great... we haven't had enough of that this season...

Conception
. . . I dont wanna...
I didn't want anything to do with the game... doubt the anime will change my mind...
wow... they really like butts like a lot of these silhouettes are extremely defined unnaturally toned with added extreme force perspective butts.
it's just... wow is it bad.
I take it back... the last show maybe had a redeeming quality... it was better then this garbage heap. Why this show exists (other then to get nerd to procreate in japan) is beyond me.

Merc StoriA: The Apathetic Boy and the Girl in a Bottle
In this world Humans and monster live together in peace thanks to healers who can heal the hearts of monsters and can stop them from attacking.
One day a boys father gives him a bottle of water to his son then goes on another journey saying he'll come back by winter.
Well winter comes and goes but the father never returns... the bottle of water however turns out to be a monster/fairy girl.
Anyways years pass and the boy has the ability to heal monsters.... one problem... he's terrified of them.
Still he tries his best despite being scared.
Honestly this show was super sweet and I will probably watch more... considering ti's apparently based on a smartphone game I am more then a little impressed.

As Miss Beelzebub likes.
While that intro was painfully cutesy I love the way hell is represented in this anime.
Angels who have fallen from Heaven work hard to keep Hell orderly with satan gone.
Unfortunately in the end seems like it's just a fanservicy show with a comedy slant. probably fine but... I'm good.

*sees the same show twice*
Ok... new rule
No shows that have uncensored versions.
I think i've been pretty clear on where i stand as far as fanservice is concerned....

Tsurune
Well no matter what I can say one thing. This show is pretty.
Well it's better then the other Kyo ani sports anime with a mostly male cast.
I mentioned before that sports anime tend to either be underdog with no hope but eventually gets better or underestimated and works to prove just how good they are.
This is kind of both. We know this kid is very talented however due to anxiety he can't play as well as he wants to. In fact he's playing worse the an amateur and has decided to give up the sport.
obviously the show will be able him regaining what he lost due to fear and that is very interesting. I've seen it beofre in thing like Chihayafuru however that was a supporting characters so i'm curious how it'll work on a main.
Oh and the show is about archery... I should have probably mentioned that.
But yeah i'll keep watching and just hope it doesn't get more focused on pleasing fangirls then actually telling a plot.

And I believe with that I am done.

Considering I went into this season expecting less then nothing I have a handful of cute shows that i'm at least willing to give a chance. Nothing solid (except maybe index 3) but I am looking forward to the next three months.

What shows did you find interesting this season?