Winter 2024 Preview Guide

Final Update: 1:56 p.m. EST Sunday 1/14/24

Welcome to my seasonal Guide! (For the debut schedule, see here.) I expect to cover every full-episode series that will be debuting this season and several of the sequels/returning series, including Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy, Synduality: Noir, Mashle: Magic and Muscles, and Banished From The Heroes’ Party. (I may also cover the new Blue Exorcist installment, but we’ll see.) I will not be covering sequels for Classom of the Elite, Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki, High Card, Kingdom, The Dangers in My Heart, Shaman King, and Fire Hunter, since I am not current on those franchises.

Debuts are listed below in oldest to newest order and may be added multiple times per day on busier days. Titles continuing from last season are not covered here.

NOTE: Turns out I’m not as caught up on Blue Exorcist as I thought, so I won’t be covering it here.

NOTE #2: The last expected entry for this Preview Guide is Meijin Gekki: 1874, on Sunday 1/14.

Meiji Gekken: 1874

Streams: Crunchyroll on Sundays

Rating: 4 (of 5)

This original series is a rarity among current anime titles: a true, dedicated historical drama. (Or, at the least, there’s no sign of a supernatural component within the first episode, though I did see one advertising picture which suggested that some may pop up later, a la My Happy Marriage.) It starts with the battle of Aizu Castle in 1868, whose eventual surrender was a key event in the Boshin War, before jumping forward to 1874, where a young former samurai named Shizuma, who was seen being a terror during the battle is now serving as a rickshaw runner as he looks for the little sister of a friend, who was to be his fiancee. He gets accused of involvement in an attempted assassination of a Japanese official due to one of his passengers, and in the process of clearing his name earns a recommendation into the police force from a police official.

That synopsis hardly covered everything going on in an episode so busy that it feels much longer than it is; in fact, the biggest knock against the episode is that it’s so busy that it’s hard to keep track of all of the threads. A turf war involving yakuza is involved, as are anti-Imperial plots, conniving foreign agents and their spies, and the circumstances of the fiancee Shizuma seeks. A relationship diagram may eventually be needed to keep track of who is connected to what, but the events shown here are deeply entrenched in actual history; some named officials were real people, and the assassination attempt of Tomomi Iwakura (who was most famous for leading a worldwide mission to study modern governments and economies with an eye to modernizing Japan) was an actual event. Technical merits aren’t bad and the detail work is impressive; this is a well-researched series. If your tastes include hard history, this one may be worth checking out.

Bang Brave Bang Bravern

Streams: Crunchyroll on Thursdays, beginning 1/18*

Rating: 4 (of 5)

Note: Crunchyroll will debut the first two episodes on 1/18. This review is based on an unofficial source.

We don’t get a truly bombastic mecha series even every year these days, which is why this original production is such a treat. Director Masami Obari has a long history with mecha titles (Detonator Orgun, Gravion, Secret Robot Wars OG: The Inspector) and it shows here in this gloriously over-the-top first episode.

The set-up is simple: Japanese and American forces are conducting joint training options (which, of course, include mecha) when apparent alien forces with overwhelming technical advantage attack. As things look their grimmest, a special, apparently sentient mecha arrives on the scene, invites one of the two featured mecha pilots inside it, then goes on a rampage against the invaders, all the while calling out dramatic attack names and playing theme music. (And we’re not just talking the OST; the pilot in question can hear it, too.)

The era where a mecha series can be a big breakout hit has passed, but in this one’s case, it isn’t for lack of effort. It features attempted camaraderie between an outgoing American pilot and a more reserved Japanese pilot, good-looking characters of both genders, and lots of visually appealing action scenes, including a suitable amount of tension when the chips are down. Most importantly, it has the necessary spirit and energy to succeed.

Bucchigiri?!

Stream: Crunchyroll on Saturdays

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)

I’ve never been a fan of semi-comedic series about brawling in a troubled high school setting, and so I probably won’t be following this original production, but I do have to acknowledge that this one is put together pretty darn well.

The story’s premise is basic: Arajin has transferred to a new high school that’s the lowest of the low, where gangs rule the scene and little real education happens. While getting intimidated by the gangsters, he bumps into an old friend who’s one of the local toughs and falls for a cute girl who turns out to be a gang leader’s sister who apparently likes to bait people into situations where her brother beats them up for getting to close to her. (Which, in retrospect, explains why she’s able to get away with looking so atypically cutesy in such a rough environment.) But then a genie shows up who’s connected to an old tradition of weaponless martial arts and makes a wish-based pact with Arajin at a crucial moment.

It’s all pretty silly, over-the-top stuff, but it’s delivered with a sharp, colorful visual flair, surprisingly good animation, and solid direction. The probably shouldn’t be a surprise, since it is directed and co-created by the director behind the similarly-impressive Sk8 the Infinity (as well as, interestingly, Free! and Banana Fish). It also has one of the most catchy EDs of the season, which is worth a watch even if you don’t bother with the episode. I could see this achieving a certain level popularity.

Snack Basue

Streams: Crunchyroll on Fridays

Rating: 2.5 (of 5)

In Japan, a “snack bar” is a kind of hostess club where female staff serve drinks to and flirt with male customers. While I didn’t have an opportunity to visit one in either of my trips to Japan, I have no doubt that the kind of inanity which goes on in them probably isn’t much different than what you’d find in a typical American bar. The operating premise of this comedy manga adaptation is that enough of those exchanges are humorous enough to make a vignette-based comedy series out of it. This first episode consists of two: one focusing on a businessman who has come to a snack bar for the first time (and thus provides an “in” for audiences who may be unfamiliar with the concept) and a second about a geeky guy who’s had no luck with the ladies but is still coming on hard to pretty junior hostess Akemi, while the would-be-motherly Basue watches and occasionally comments from the side.

Without a doubt, some of this is funny, which is why I’m giving this a mid-range rating. However, the presentation and style of the humor is definitely not aimed at the typical anime audiences, as the episode entirely lack anything visually dynamic. (The animation is limited, too.) That’s a barrier this series is just not going to be able to overcome in the States. Come in with low expectations and you might be entertained.

The Weakest Tamer Begins a Journey to Pick Up Trash

Streams: Crunchyroll on Fridays

Rating: 4 (of 5)

Wow, did this light novel adaptation come out of left field for me! I was certainly not expecting yet another story about an isekai main character taming slimes to look this good or have such a distinct emotional pull. While the episode’s hardly perfect, this one has at least some potential to be a true dark horse title for the season.

In this setting, a young girl flees her villages because she’s been proclaimed so useless that the village chief put a bounty on her head; she’s only got one Skill, and at the weakest possible rating. She’s determined to survive and strike out on her own, to the point of disguising herself as a boy and taking on a new name, and in the process meets a fragile little slime who’s as comparatively weak as she is. So of course the slime becomes her first successful tame.

As generic as that all sounds, the execution matters here. Visuals are sharp, detailed, and inviting, with unexpectedly strong animation backing them. The tale spun turns Ivy into a compelling character and invests serious effort into establishing the emotional connection she makes with the slime she calls Sora, but without getting overly schmaltzy. The gimmick with her talking to someone who’s presumed to be her memories from her past life may annoy some, but it didn’t bother me, and the musical support builds nicely throughout. The one legitimate knock is that Ivy takes a couple of minutes late in the episode to summarize information that can mostly be gleaned easily enough from implication and context, but even so this vastly exceed any expectations I had for this series. It’s worth checking out, even if isekai isn’t normally your thing.

The Witch and the Beast

Streams: Crunchyroll on Thursdays

Rating: 4 (of 5)

In the setting of this manga adaptation, a witch’s curse is one of the most powerful and intractable forms of magic. It can only be counteracted by the kiss of a true love, the witch changing her mind, or one other method that only works temporarily. A soft-spoken mage with a job to do (and a coffin on his back) and an apparent young woman with a bestial attitude and a score to settle have come to one particular city in search of the local witch, who’s regarded as a hero. But as the witch’s young helper learns the hard way, little is what it seems when witches are involved, and their grudges can run long and deep.

The title given for episode 2 in the Next Episode preview suggest that this is an in media res opening, but it still explains things well enough to allow viewers to understand what’s gong on and delivers on tone, character establishment, magic displays, and action. Long-time veteran VA Toshiyuki Morikawa is fantastic as the smooth-talking Ashaf, but the real winners here are the musical score and dramatic presentation. The delivery isn’t quite smooth enough to warrant a top-level grade; this one just hides its animation shortcuts better than most. Still, there’s plenty enough here to get enthused about, so this one will be a keeper.

Delusional Monthly Magazine

Streams: Crunchyroll on Thursdays

Rating: 2.5 (of 5)

A scientist who is researching a mysterious sunken continent that may or may not have existed (think Atlantis) has discovered an artifact from that continent and seeks to have a tabloid-like rag write about it since the regular scientific community won’t publish his work. But there may actually be a conspiracy keeping a lid on that investigation, and certainly some hoodlums are after the scientist. None of the mag’s staff may be normal, either; the dog seems a little too smart, the boy can heal, and the lackadaisical assistant editor both can sense that the scientist is cursed and winds up turning into a super-strong tiger man when he touches a relic.

Essentially, this original anime from studio OLM and the director of Raven of the Inner Palace seems to be a light, high-spirited “investigate weird stuff” kind of story, the kind that may even be meant to be accessible to younger viewers. The first episode establishes the premise and core cast well enough, but characters meant to be lovable come off more as annoying, the tone seems too cheery, and the animation effort is lackluster. Honestly I can’t see this one catching on with mainline anime fandom, and I see little here to merit watching more.

Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?

Streams: Crunchyroll on Wednesday

Rating: 2.5 (of 5)

This is the anime version of a manga that has also been adapted into a live-action series, and after seeing the first episode, I have to wonder if that might be the preferable way to watch this. The gimmick here is that Adachi, who’s still a virgin at age 30, has suddenly gained the ability to read the minds of those he comes into physical contact with, and he accidentally finds out that male coworker Kurosawa has a thing for him. This starts making him incredibly self-conscious around Kurosawa, even as he starts to accept that Kurosawa is actually a good guy. The problem is that Adachi really isn’t ready for that kind of relationship, no matter what the gender is of the prospective partner.

And I will give the story credit for emphasizing that particular point: Adachi’s discomfort has everything to do with not wanting to take advantage of someone he knows like him and little to nothing to do with Kurosawa being a guy. Make either of these characters a woman, but keep the personalities essentially intact, and the play-out wouldn’t be much different. That said, there’s still a creep factor here that’s hard to overlook. I can see this developing into something stronger – and I’ve been assured by those familiar with the manga that this is the case – but I had a tough time sitting through this episode so I won’t be back.

Metallic Rouge

Streams: Crunchyroll on Wednesdays

Rating: 4 (of 5)

This original anime is effectively a 25th anniversary title for Studio Bones, and it is getting the deluxe treatment that might be expected from a studio with such a storied reputation. While not a mind-blowing spectacle, it still features some of the best production values and most impressive action sequences to date this season, all while firmly-establishing is tech noir ambiance and providing several potential plot hooks.

The story is hardly an original concept so far, borrowing heavily from Armitage III in setting and plot elements, Bubblegum Crisis in aesthetic style, and Blade Runner in many ways. In a future Mars where humans live alongside advanced androids called Neans, friction exists between the two. Rouge, a female Nean who goes by the name Metal Rouge in her armored form, is hunting down a special group of Nean called the Immortal Nine for as-yet-unrevealed reasons. She gets help in this from a human investigator named Naomi, and there’s also a drug(?) called Nectar involved, which is essential for the proper functioning of Neans. When a singer who’s taken Rouge in turns out to be one of the Immortal Nine trying to exit the organization and become just an ordinary singer, a battle erupts. Oh, and there’s a joker-like figure around.

The first episode doesn’t do the best job of laying out its circumstances, which is why I can’t rate this one higher. However, it is clearly a more adult-leaning title with a lot of promise and an awesome insert song (the one used in the series’ fantastic music video trailer). Definitely a keeper!

Sengoku Youko

Streams: Crunchyroll on Wednesdays

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)

A lot is apparently expected of this anime adaptation, as it has an unusual three-cour commitment up front and was among the most-anticipated new shows of the season. The first episode shows that the attention is not without reason. While it is hardly the sharpest-looking series out there, it still delivers well enough on its action, characters, and general spirit to be considered a success.

Part of the key to that is Tama, a fox spirit youko who is referred to as “elder sister” but looks like a kid and has a very child-like notion about justice mixed with some practical arguments that would be more expected from a much older individual. She’s clearly the heart of this Sengoku-era adventure, while her stepbrother, the misanthropic Jinka, is the enforcer. Shinusuke, a young swordsman seeking to make a name for himself, runs across them while investigating bandits and gets drawn to their supernatural supernatural conflicts. This involves multiple battle scenes, a transformation scene, and some entertaining exchanges amongst the three leads/ None of this is fresh or inspired, but the overall execution works so far.

Doctor Elise: The Royal Lady with the Lamp

Streams: Crunchyroll on Wednesdays

Rating: 3 (of 5)

This novel adaptation puts a somewhat unusual extra spin on the standard isekai concept: Elise was an Empress in her first life who got burned at the stake for as-yet-unspecified transgressions, which included the rest of her family being killed, too. In her new life in modern Japan, she diligently works to become an acclaimed surgeon in an effort to atone for the transgressions of her previous life, only to (apparently) die from injuries suffered in a plane crash. She then finds herself back in her original life, several years before her death. Or is this new opportunity just a fever dream as she lays comatose in the modern world?

While standard storytelling tactics suggests that this is a real second reincarnation, I’m not completing discounting that second possibility yet, as the situation seems too convenient. Regardless, this episode is just set-up for the overall plot thrust – i.e., that she will continue to use her medical knowledge in her redo of her original life – which will presumably get more fleshed out next episode, so this one is in a holding pattern for now. Despite the intriguing ideas afoot here, I can’t rate this one better because the medical drama aspect is too cheesy and some aspects of the way the plane scenes were animated felt too unnatural. Still, I’m not ruling out the possibility that this one could amount to something.

Villainess Level 99

Streams: Crunchyroll on Tuesdays

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)

I’ve always appreciated the rarely-used gimmick of starting a series with a complete fake-out, and this light novel adaptation does that more thoroughly than any title in years. Of course, the series’ name gives away the real truth of what the series is about. but here they even go as far as using a full opener indicating that the first half of the episode is what the series is actually about: a stereotypical otome game scenario about a commoner attending an elite academy on scholarship who collects a trio of hot guys around her on her path to eventually beating the Demon Lord. The actual protagonist, though, is an initial background character who’s secretly the story’s hidden ultimate villain. But this time around, she’s an isekai’d reincarnate who’s familiar with this game and wants no part in being the villain. Her efforts to stay inconspicuous and avoid the central quartet go up in flames, however, when an entrance level test reveal that years of level-grinding have unwittingly made her stupefyingly strong.

In other words, this is a cross between a standard isekai villainess scenario and I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level. What makes this both work and stand out a little is Yumiella’s utterly deadpan approach, one reminiscent of Mash in Mashle: Magic and Muscles, and the irony that the reveal of her high level is definitely going to interfere with the game’s intended path, just not at all in the way she intended. That combination gives the series enough of a spark to overcome the series’ weak use of CG and warrant watching more.

Synduality: Noir episode 13

Streams: Mondays on Hulu

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)

This series went into its seasonal break with the Silver Storm having been defeated but a passel of big mysteries floating around. The biggest and most obvious was, of course, that light-skinned, light-haired Noir had turned into a dark-skinned, dark-haired counterpart who called herself Mystere and referred to Noir as a “dud” and “safe mode.” Kanata taking Mystere around to various locations familiar to Noir does turn up a few interesting details, the most important of which is that Mystere was the Magus for Dr. Pascale, a name that has come up a couple of times before. By the end of the episode – and after briefly turning back into Noir – Mystere is suddenly enthused about going after Histoire.

Though I wasn’t impressed by this series at first, it turned into a fairly solid mecha action-drama series by the end of its first half. While the action components aren’t present in this episode, the episode still solidifies the already-firm foundation it had for its character development and more dramatic elements. I look forward to seeing more the hooks planted towards the end of the first season drawn in.

Hokkaido Gals are Super-Adorable!

Streams: Crunchyroll on Mondays

Rating: 3 (of 5)

This manga adaptation is defined by a central irony: a high school boy moves from Tokyo (the busiest and most worldly part of Japan) to the comparative backwater of Hokkaido, only to discover that his social life is is becoming more intense rather than more relaxed. That’s because curvaceous local gal-type Minami has quickly taken an interest in (and possibly liking to?) him. The result is a fairly standard “reserved boy is overwhelmed by the attention of a hot girl” scenario, with the only real variation being the setting. According to the OP and ED, at least two other girls will eventually become involved, too.

The whole scenario here hinges in part on Tsubasa not being able to get a read on Minami’s motivations. Is she just interested in him because he’s just something new in a place where there isn’t a lot to do, or does she genuinely like him? How much of what she’s doing is being innocently unaware of the effect she can have on young men vs. actually flirting and teasing? We’re seeing this entirely from Tsubasa’s view, so the only hint is that she did blush a bit when Tsubasa complimented her appearance. As run-of-the-mill as this all feels, the series does find some genuine humor in all of this, and Minami is hardly unlikable. I can’t see this series going anywhere big, but there’s just enough appeal here that it might be worth watching more.

The Foolish Angel Dances with the Devil

Streams: Crunchyroll on Mondays

Rating: 3 (of 5)

A demon sent from Hell to find someone to help rally the troops finds himself lovestruck at the sight of a girl who turns out to be an angel with a plan of her own – and some part of that plan involves turning the demon into a servant and having him help her with some task in exchange for sparing his life. This is the operating premise for this manga adaptation, and while the title may suggest that the devil (in this case Masatora) has the upper hand in their new relationship, events in the first episode strongly suggest otherwise. Up to the point where she reveals her true nature, he’s the one being overwhelmed by her cutesy charm, and even though he breaks her mystical chains once, she’s the one who utterly dominate their brief fight. That makes me curious about how this situation might turn around.

That and a decently convincing character design for the angel Lily are the two main things this debut has going for it and the reasons why I may watch another episode. This would normally be my type of romantic scenario, but the episode just spends too long setting itself up; what was done here could probably be accomplished in half an episode instead without losing much. I also find it baffling that someone who would be sent on a mission like that couldn’t better pick up on the unnatural allure of an angel. But hey, if the rest of the series plays out in entertaining fashion then I can overlook flaws like that. We’ll see what the next episode or two offers before I decide on this one.

‘Tis Time for “Torture,” Princess

Streams: Crunchyroll on Mondays

Rating: 2 (of 5)

The awards for both the Most Intriguingly Named and Most Misleadingly Named titles of the season go to this manga adaptation, which is about a warrior princess who has been captured and imprisoned (along with her sentient sword) by the Demon Army. The defining gag here is that the female torturer, unsubtly named Torture Tortura, is very good at what she does. She knows that the most effective torture has to be tailored to the subject, and in the princess’s case that means not physical abuse but gastronomic teasing. In other words, she tempts the princess with delectable foods in order to get her to spill secrets, creating a weird sort of foodie experience.

Some creative artistic effort aside, this approach has two crippling problems: it gets redundant all too quickly and some of the foodie gags are all too Japanese-specific. Using toast to sop up leftover gravy I can completely understand, but I’ve had takoyaki in Japan and it isn’t all that. The thing about late-night ramen and the side of rice left me scratching my head, too. And that’s without considering purely logical points, like why the sword is in the same cell with the princess. If she could slay that giant cyclops with that sword, she could certainly break out of a cell with it. Granted, someone (or in this case, something) has to be the straight man here, but even by the level of absurdity that this series is aiming for, that’s stretching it. The final pre-credit scene promises some new characters getting involved, but even with that and the joke in the epilogue I question the sustainability of the concept, too. While can appreciate what it’s trying to do, it’s a big miss for me.

Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy- s2

Streams: Crunchyroll on Mondays

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)

Despite a very formulaic structure on paper (and in many was arguably derivative of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime), the first season of this 2021 isekai power fantasy because of a combination of entertaining supporting characters, an exuberant spirit, and a few minor formula twists here and there. But it also left at least two major plot points hanging at the end – specifically, a gradually converging path towards Makoto meeting the other heros and his quest to learn more about the world. Dealing with both of those seems to be on tap as this new season begins. Makoto resumes his journey to the Academy, along the way winding up helping a village trouble by marauding bandits. Meanwhile, back in the demiplane, Rio is making some epically bad cooking efforts and Tomoe is seeing to the further training of new recruits.

Considering the chaos which typically reigned in the first season, this is a relatively mild start to the second. Even so, it still recaptures enough of the spirit of the first season to continue to be entertaining, and all of its little world-building quirks are still in play, and that’s all that matters. If you liked the first season, there’s no reason to have doubts about this one.

Pon no Michi

Streams: Nowhere legal on Fridays

Rating: 2.5 (of 5)

This original series, from the director of The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess, has, curiously, not been picked up for U.S. streaming as of this writing despite being a full-length episode and being neither a kids’ show nor a racy one. (All of the girls introduced so far have very distinct figures, but the first episode has nothing I’d count as fan service.) It features high school student Nashiko, who has to find a new place to hang out after she gets kicked out of her house for being too boisterous. Her father allows she and her friends to use a closed-down, standalone mahjong parlor which was apparently just being used for storage, provided that they clean it up. The girls decided to use it as their new hangout – and oh, yes, there’s a sparrow who professes to be a “mahjong spirit” whom only Nashiko can hear talk.

The first episode gives the impression that this will be a casual series where the girls can get together and be goofy, while also delving into how mahjong is played. It uses several visual parodies, mostly I believe of the gambling-focused franchise Kaiji, and has an enthusiastic fourth girl who shows up at the end, eager to play. (A fifth girl is shown in both the OP and ED but hasn’t appeared yet.) This is definitely not one of the prettier-looking series of the season, and that’s a big mark against this one. Its character design aesthetic also leans more towards sexy than cute, but, again, with no eye to fan service so far. Overall, I don’t see this one having a lot of appeal if you’re not into its featured game, but it does, at least, have energy in its facor.

Mr. Villain’s Day Off

Streams: Crunchyroll on Sundays

Rating: 2.5 (of 5)

In recent years, there have been a few humorous send-ups of super sentai team tropes, including excellent ones like Love After World Domination and good ones like Miss Kuroitsu From the Monster Development Department. Based on the first episode, this one is the least of that lot. Its particular take is to focus on one of the leading villains and how he enjoys his days off from trying to wipe out humanity. He’s become addicted to panda cuteness, so he’ll make sure to allow them to breed more freely once humanity is gone, and he has strict standards about not interacting with coworkers or fighting on off days, so he is trying to establish a proper work/rest mental attitude.

Some of this is definitely funny, but there are two problems here which prevent a higher rating. Once is the pacing; rather than more rapid-fire jokes, these are drawn our, making me wonder if this concept might have worked better in a short format. The other is that the series cannot sustain on Mr. Villain (and the hapless Red Ranger) alone. It’s going to need to quickly expand its cast. Fortunately the latter problem, at least, is easily surmountable, as other characters are shown in the OP. Still, this one isn’t a keeper unless its second episode does much better.

7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy

Streams: Crunchyroll on Sundays

Rating: 3 (of 5)

Few series more completely or succinctly describe their gimmick and operating premise with their title than this one does. The only real twist in this first episode is how Rishe, a young woman who had her engagement to the crown prince of her nation annulled by that prince, winds up marrying the man who was either directly or indirectly responsible for her death five years later (in six previous runs through ages 15 to 20), not that it happens. The one other potentially interesting factor here is how this might change her future prospects, as it’s entirely possible that having a good woman at his side might have kept Arnold Hein, the crown prince of an empire, from becoming the warmonger which got Rishe killed the last few times.

While the end result is easily anticipated, the path there has at least some merits. A fortuitous encounter in Rishe’s first go-through showed her that she had broader options in life, and in each new attempt she enthusiastically pursued a new path, rather than just try to repeat and tweak previous events. This accumulation of knowledge and skills leaves her stronger each time, to the point that she can catch the dour future Emperor’s eye; he seems the type more impressed by ability than beauty. That makes Rishe a suitably strong character for this kind of situation. The reason I’m not rating this higher, though, is that something about the art style – particularly in the way eyes are drawn – does not set right with me, and that’s a potentially major barrier for me. It may bother other viewers less, and so should be a more promising candidate for others.

Banished from the Hero’s Party s2

Streams: Crunchyroll on Sundays

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)

Banished was one of 2021’s most pleasant surprises, and Red and Rit were my pick for Duo or Couple of the Year for 2021, so this one’s return after a couple of years off is quite welcome indeed, especially since the last episode of season 1 did leave a couple of plot points hanging. I recommend reviewing that last episode before watching this one, as some of what’s going on here directly spins off of things going on there. Certainly not the least of that is the reappearance of the elf druid Yarandrala, who was seen in flashbacks in the first season. However, the reappearance of Theodora (now masquerading as the masked knight Esta) is just as significant, especially since she’s in the role of guiding Van of Flamberge, a prince of a fallen kingdom who’s the new Hero. But after seeing how Ruti became consumed with that role, can she successfully guide Van away from that trouble, especially he seems to be much more of a religious fanatic?

In other words, the lingering sense that the god Demis may not have the best intentions hasn’t gone away, but the more immediate concern for the rest of the returning cast is a trade mission to the gem giants, where Red intends to barter for a proper stone for Rit’s wedding ring. It’s mostly pleasant in the same way that much of the first season was, although there are starting to be hints of impending complications beyond just Yarandrala’s reappearance. All of that contributes to a satisfying start to the season. The one weird thing, though, is how the OP focuses almost exclusively on Ruti, and between that and the regular episode the camera seems more intent on ogling her (including some undefined nudity in the OP). This isn’t a problem for me, as Ruti is more my preferred physical type than Red is, but it seems strange to focus on her so much when the first episode isn’t. Still, that’s more a curiosity at this point than a problem.

Mashle: Magic and Muscles s2 (ep 13)

Streams: Crunchyroll on Saturdays

Rating: 3 (of 5)

Mash Burnedead is back to deal with the fallout from the first season’s end in his own unique way. This time, though, the stakes have escalated, for rumor is spreading about his lack of ability to use magic. And while some rules sticklers want to see him executed for that, others have taken interest in him for what he can do – for better or worse.

Really, the first episode back is just par for the course for the series, with Mash doing magic-like feats through sheer brawn, strange new characters popping up, and previous associates just hanging out. It still has a couple of standard sputter-worthy moments, but overall, the attempts at humor didn’t feel quite as sharp as was commonly-seen in the first season. Overall, it’s not a bad return, but not an especially exciting one, either.

Solo Leveling

Streams: Crunchyroll on Saturdays

Rating: 2.5 (of 5)

This one is based on a manhwa that’s supposedly one of the hottest properties in fandom right now, so this is one of the season’s biggest debuts. After seeing the first episode, I’m not sure why. While its technical merits are pretty decent, it’s not a spectacle like Chainsaw Man‘s debut was, nor does it have the gorgeous visuals and compelling drama of the Demon Slayer debut. There’s nothing special about the premise, either; in fact, it’s very derivative of other works about magically-empowered individuals fighting off threats from another world, with a bit of RPG-styled dungeon crawling thrown in. Sure, it’s on the graphic side, but other titles which have debuted this season have been at least this graphic. Protagonist Jinwoo (Crunchyroll is apparently keeping the original Korean names) has not shown anything special by the end of the episode, either; he’s just an ordinary bottomfeeder trying to scrape by for his family, with his only redeeming quality being that a mildly pretty healer seems to like him. Whatever gimmick is supposed to turn him into something special is beyond the scope of this episode.

In fact, this is one series that probably should have had a double-length debut, as it doesn’t feel like we’ve gotten anywhere near the defining premise by the end of the first episode. I’ll watch another episode or two to see how the actual premise plays out and see if that changes my mind, but so far I’m missing the hype boat here.

A Sign of Affection

Streams: Crunchyroll on Saturdays

Rating: 4.5 (of 5)

This manga adaptation is not my kind of series, so I probably won’t end up following it, but damned if it didn’t still impressed me enough that I have to give it a strong recommendation. I could even see this one being a bit emotional for some viewers.

In it, Yuki is a typical college student, except for the fact that she’s deaf. One day on a train she’s helped out by Itsuomi, a tall, handsome college student who’s a club mate of her best friend, and is startled into her first budding crush when he doesn’t seem thrown off in the least by her impairment. Rin’s interested in Itsuomi’s cousins, so the two support each other in getting the contact info for their interests, an exercise which has the potential to expand Yuki’s world greatly once she gets over her anxieties.

That plot may not sound like much, but the execution really matters here, and director Yuta Murano (Kakushigoto) fully delivers on that, including using three animators assigned just to getting the sign language parts right (though most communication is done through phones). All of the character designs are finely-detailed and gorgeously-rendered, but watching Yuki’s expressiveness is a particular delight; it’s not hard to understand why Itsuomi (and maybe others, too) might become enchanted with her, as there’s something positively magical about her expression of joy when Itsuomi messages to her, “let me into your world.” Great feels, a likable heroine, and effective use of light humor all add up to an impactful start.

The Strongest Tank’s Labyrinth Raids

Streams: Crunchyroll on Saturdays

Rating: 2.5 (of 5)

Fantasy stories about characters who have been kicked out of their party or organization because their talents and/or abilities were misunderstood and underappreciated have become practically their own subgenre in recent years; one of the most prominent ones, Banished From The Heroes’ Party, is even returning later this season. This appears to be another of that ilk, with defensive specialist Rud being kicked from the Hero’s party because his defensive abilities seem inefficient. The only minor twist here is that only the Hero is being an ass about it; the rest of his party that has adventured with Rud is much more sympathetic, and at least one even seems to be romantically interested in him. Naturally, Rud finds his way temporarily with another young party before encountering a girl (an illegally-created homunculus) who reassures him that his skills make him even more valuable to his party than he realized. Oh, and he’s a siscon with a young sister who’s incurable by normal means.

This one doesn’t seem like it’s going to be a fan service title, which is good, because both the girl Luna and many of the others shown in the OP look very young. It’s also a non-isekai fantasy which still operates on game mechanics (as most series of these types do) and doesn’t offer anything interesting in the monster or fight design categories. Rud is pleasingly good-natured, Luna is suitably cute (if also utterly generic in design), and the business about homunculi (which are used as slave labor in this setting) seems like a potentially interesting angle, but I just don’t see much here to hold interest.

Tales of Wedding Rings

Streams: Crunchyroll on Saturdays

Rating: 3 (of 5)

I hadn’t looked at any advertisements for this manga adaptation, so based on the title I was expecting a more pure romantic series, maybe even an anthology. Nope; the first episode (and especially its OP and sexy ED) make it clear that this is going to be a fan service-laden harem isekai series. Protagonist Satou has a human princess bound to him with a wedding ring by the end of the first episode, and it looks like four other hotties from diverse races will eventually join him, the Ring King, too.

This all comes about because the blonde foreigner that Satou has been friends with for a decade, Himeno, isn’t a princess just in name (Hime = princess) and attitude; she actually is a princess from another world who had been hiding out in modern Japan for her own protection. Satou was at the point of confessing to her when she left to return to her world to get married, so he followed her, and in a moment of crisis, got a kiss, a ring, a wife, a title, and a lot of responsibility to fight demonic creatures out of it. But if it’s all for Hime and what’s important to her. . .

Honestly, this title has some factors stacked against it. Its animation is less than stellar, its male character designers are basic and unappealing, and it is heavy on stereotypical story elements. However, what save the opener is that Satou, despite being anxious about the situation, does man up when he needs to. His feelings about Hime clearly run deeper than just her cleavage (which is saying something!), and he responds when he sees desperate soldiers all looking to him for what he can do – which is, essentially, turn any weapon he handles into a magical one capable of destroying demons in one hit. I’m not expecting greatness out of this one, but between that and the fan service (including just a touch of nudity), it actually feels watchable.

The Demon Prince of Momochi House

Streams: Crunchyroll on Friday

Rating: 2.5 (of 5)

The set-up is in many ways very reminiscent of Kamisama Kiss: a teen girl on her own, with nowhere else to go, ends up at an isolated structure that she can claim as her own and encounters there supernatural bishonen, including one with animal ears. Despite initial attempts to push her away, and some element of personal danger, she ends up living there with said bishonen. And she may well have some powers of her own – though, curiously, none of the bishonen comment on that despite one clearly having a run-in with it. That’s about where the similarities end, though, because one of the bishonen is the spiritual contractor, not the MC herself.

This is definitely playing to the same audience that went gaga over Kamisama Kiss, though, so if you are familiar enough with that title to have a reaction to it, then you’ll probably have a similar reaction here. Certain aspects of it do look good – especially the mulicolored robe that Aoi wears – and the character designs are pleasing enough, but nothing about the set-up stands out, and Aoi is, frankly, too nice in his normal form. I just don’t see this one having a very broad appeal.

The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic

Streams: Crunchyroll on Fridays

Rating: 4 (of 5)

Honestly, I’m shocked that I am rating this light novel adaptation this high. It certainly isn’t going to be one of the better-looking series this season, and for the first few minutes it’s mostly as bland and generic a “random guy gets caught up in an isekai summoning not intended for him” scenario as can be imagined, with Ken Usato being the ordinary guy beside school stand-outs like Class President Suzune Inukami and VP Kazuki Ryusen, who were the “accomplished people” targeted by the summoning. Then, after they’re summoned to the throne room of the fantasy world and go through the standard “defeat the Demon King” spiel, the screws gradually start popping out. That’s when the debut starts to show real promise as a fun little jaunt.

For starters, the Class President isn’t the expected straight person here. She’s actually as isekai-crazed as any chunibyou geek, and the expressions of glee she shows off (and Usato’s reactions to them) seem so against type that they’re fun to watch. The reaction of everyone to learning that Usato has the very rare healing magic is also what you’d more expect from a pure comedy show, as is Rose and her Recovery Team minions. In other words, this seems more like more a comedy-laced romp than a pure action-oriented isekai, and the series is better for it. I’m getting a good vibe off of this one, and will certainly be watching at least a bit more of it.

The Undead Unwanted Adventurer

Streams: Crunchyroll on Fridays

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)

The title on this light novel adaptation is very straightforward about what the series is: an average-ability adventurer gets in over his head, dies, and discovers that he’s still around as a sentient undead. Naturally, this creates some serious complications for MC Rentt, not the least of which is that he can’t walk back into town as a skeleton. Ironically, though, this may actually be his ticket to getting stronger after being stalled at a low level for many years, because undead, like other monsters, can evolve into stronger forms. He also has a sexy sage friend who might find his predicament very interesting indeed, since monster evolution is one of her fields of study. But first he has to evolve into a ghoul and figure out how to talk as an undead.

This one feels like it might have some promise, as it doesn’t hand-wave practical considerations like whether or not Rentt can even talk in his undead forms. Some hooks are also built in to provide reason to make connections to various female characters, leading to the potentially amusing irony that he may wind up doing better with the ladies as an undead than he did while alive. There’s also the mystery of why he’s fully sentient in his state. Unlike predecessor Skeleton Knight in Another World, this one isn’t an isekai, and it seems to be playing things straight rather than humorously so far, but the animation looks pretty good. Not expecting a lot out of this one, but it’s not trash, either.

Sasaki and Peeps

Streams: Crunchyroll on Fridays

Rating: 2.5 (of 5)

A lot is going on in the first episode of this light novel adaptation, which may be why it has a double-length debut. In fact, I’d even say that too much is going on here, as the series is distinctly trying to meld a “freely travel between the two worlds” isekai with a modern-world supernatural investigations story. Eventually, the two aspects are going to clash. But perhaps that’s the point

The titular Sasaki is a 39-year-old single guy who’s dependable but only satisfied with his job because he knows it could be worse. He’s got a thing for cute animals, so a pet store visit lead to him getting a pet bird, who turns out to be a reincarnated wizard from another world. Turns out Sasaki has an affinity for the magic “Peeps” teaches him, and with Peeps’ help he makes money on the side by jaunting over to the wizard’s original world. Then he discovers that people with magic-like psychic powers do exist in his world and they’re government-related, and he’s mistaken for one and gets pulled into that line of work. There’s also an over-enthusiastic female would-be partner in the psychic investigations, a possibly-scheming new boss, and a teenager neighbor girl who might be interested in him, too. What’s a mild-mannered guy like Sasaki to do?

I will give the series credit for throwing out a ton of potential hooks, including the neighbor girl having a less-than-stellar family situation, but again, it feel like it’s trying to do too much and not being much more than bland at any of them. Very average technical merits are also a negative, but seeing a series like this focus on an adult character is gratifying. I don’t feel like this one’s a keeper, but I may give it another episode or two.

My Instant Death Ability is Overpowered

Streams: HIDIVE on Thursdays

Rating: 1 (of 5)

Based on the title, I wasn’t expecting much from this light novel adaptation, but I am still shocked at how poorly this debut under-performs even my low expectations.

This is what I call a “spirited away” style isekai, where a bus on a field trip gets transported to another world by seemingly-young woman who’s looking for new “sages,” so she casually kills the teacher and driver for trying to interrupt her and gives most of the class video game-like displays and powers and a task to perform. The rest of the class callously leaves the four who didn’t get powers behind as bait for a dragon, but hey, one of those (who slept through the whole thing) seems to already have an instant-death ability, and he’s not shy about using it, except on one of the girls left behind with him because she’s got nice boobs. Oh, and a trio of other students have previously been isekai’d to this world, but they’re just complete asses who exist only so the MC can show off his power on unsympathetic targets. A slave collar and planned necrophilia are also involved, and somehow at least some of this is supposed to be funny, too.

I’d call this first episode tone-deaf, but even that isn’t adequate to describe how badly this comes together. The MC comes off as a complete sociopath, but the classmates who all just blandly accept leaving a few of their own as dragon bait aren’t any better, and the time frames involved make little sense. So do the motives and behavior of this “sage” character, whom the series is trying to pass off as a villain who comes across as a nice person. Add in mediocre technical merits and a complete inability to convey a desired tone and you have one of the worst debut episodes I’ve seen in quite a while.

Chained Soldier

Streams: HIDIVE on Thursdays

Rating: 3 (of 5)

When HIDIVE announced that this manga adaptation was going to stream uncensored, I expected a more graphic and/or tawdry debut than what we get here. I’m told that the fan service in this one gradually ratchets up as the series progresses, so this a relatively tame start may not be typical. Of course, the premise alone – the girl can make the boy her empowered slave, but she has to reward him for it, and in this case she’s been compelled into sexual behavior – is all kinds of wrong, so that will have to sustain for now.

Essentially, the setting is a modern world where only females can get special powers from a fruit found in another world which occasionally converges, and the ones who get the most combat-oriented powers become part of a corps who retrieves civilians who get transported to the desolate, monster-ridden alternate world. Naturally, why these are all teen-aged (or younger!) girls is a trivial detail, but one of the strongest among them – the swordswoman Kyoka – rescues the boy Yuki when he gets spirited away, then in a moment of desperation make him her slave, which works out so well that Yuki gets recruited to be a slave in combat and housekeeper for the girls on Kyoka’s team outside of it, something he has understandably mixed feelings about.

“Mixed” is my reaction to this, too. The action scenes aren’t bad, the character designs are plenty appealing, and the fetishy aspect of all of this doesn’t bother me. However, the overall look and color scheme aren’t inviting, and the beginning of the episode is clumsily handled at best. It’ll take another episode or two to see if this one will amount to anything.

Delicious in Dungeon

Streams: Netflix on Thursdays

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)

I have read most of the source manga that has been translated into English for this one, and long felt it would adapt well as an anime, so this was my most-anticipated debut of the season. It’s not a spectacular debut, but it mostly doesn’t disappoint, either.

The premise isn’t complicated: the priestess from a dungeon-crawling party consisting of human knight Laios, elven mage Marcille, and halfling rogue Chilchuck (and two members who got recruited by other parties!) got eaten by a dragon, and they have to get her body back before she gets fully digested. (The first episode doesn’t clarify this, but anyone who dies in the dungeon can be resurrected relatively easily as long as the body is mostly intact.) Short on funds, Laios declares that they’ll just have to live off the land on their quest – in other words, eat dungeon monsters, much to the dismay of Marcille. Fortunately, they run into the dwarf Senshi, who’s made a life of being a dungeon gourmet, and he agrees to join them.

In other words, this is as much a cooking show as it is a dungeon crawl, with recipes using ingredients like slimes, mushroom men, scorpions, and the fruit of carnivorous plants. At this stage it’s as much a comedy, too, with the first episode holding a number of funny moments. (Laios’s guilty expression when Marcille accuses him of ulterior motives with this plan is classic.) The visual presentation, courtesy of studio Trigger, is more brightly colorful than one might expect for a dungeon crawl but looks good, and the animation so far is solid but hasn’t been challenged much yet. It’s a faithful adaptation, too, except for not posting the full recipes on-screen. I don’t feel I can rate it any higher because something – the pacing, maybe – is just a bit off, but I can assure you that what you see in the first episode is what most of the series will be, so this is one case where you’ll know by the end of the first episode if this one is a keeper or not. I may episode-review it myself if nothing else grabs my attention more.

Ishura

Streams: Hulu on Wednesdays

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)

The first episode of this one doesn’t tell you much about what the series will actually be, since it mostly features a magic student watching as a friend gets ripped apart by a small golem and then a big golem, combined with a horde of small golems, thoroughly trashing her home city. Afterwards, a young man who’s a Visitor (i.e., from a different world) arrives and defeats the massive golem with style. The narration at the end and the OP suggest that this fellow is just one of many who will play prominent roles in what I’m assuming is going to be a very expansive story, and that this is not only just a character introduction episode, but just the first of a few of them.

Whatever the case, this one features an ambitious animation effort and at least one scene of very graphic content. The female lead deciding to help the sword-wielding dude in order to lead him to people who can take him out, rather than out of gratitude, was also an interesting little twist. While the musical choices are less than stellar, the visuals and that little twist may be good enough to carry the series until the story firms up more.

Gushing Over Magical Girls

Streams: HIDIVE on Wednesdays

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)

The first thing to know about this series is that HIDIVE successfully got the uncensored version, and in this case, that really matters. It takes less than three minutes for the first transformation scene involving detailed nudity to pop up, and the costume of Utena (pictured in the screenshot) literally has large pasties for frontal coverage. That’s just for starters in what is easily one of the raciest and kinkiest debut episodes in recent memory.

But it’s not just about the fan service. There are some genuinely funny moments, too (the plant creature with the S&M-styled apparel, the way the magical girls react the next day to their thorough spankings), and Utena quickly proves that her mascot wasn’t off the mark in choosing her to be a villain; what she believed was adoration for magical girls apparently has much more fetishy roots than Utena realized, and she doesn’t (yet) want to accept that she transforms into an S&M mistress for a reason. There’s also the curious (and probably not idle) detail that Utena’s transformation command is exactly the same as that of the magical girls. This series definitely isn’t for everyone, and I definitely wouldn’t recommend it for those who are fans of more pure-hearted magical girl series, if your tastes run toward the less prurient side, check this one out.

Fluffy Paradise

Streams: Crunchyroll on Mondays?

Rating: 3 (of 5)

The set-up is is only a slight variation on a standard isekai set-up: an overworked 27-year-old office drone collapses and dies, only to be recruited by a god to be reborn in a new world to evaluate whether or not the humanity of that world deserves to continue. To bribe her to undertake this task, the god gives her an ability of her choice. She just wants to pet all kinds of fluffy animals, so she’s given the ability to be liked by “creatures other than humans.” In her new life as the toddler daughter of a duke, that means animals of all types are attracted to her, even the sacred holy beasts. (She’s riding one in the screenshot.) But will it extend to dragons, too?

Other than the set-up, this episode is mostly about protagonist Nefertima meeting a prince and king, learning a bit about the world, and of course enjoying the bliss of petting animals. There could be a story here in how her ability could have vastly broader implications once it’s recognized, and the OP suggests that there may be some eventual action elements, but so far this looks like a low-key isekai more about having fun than about having grand adventures. And that’s okay; slice-of-life isekai titles have been proven to work. Nothing exciting about the artistry so far, but this seems like a pleasant enough series overall.