Last time around I looked at earlier-debuting series; this time around I’ll be looking at the later-debuting ones, including the first and second episodes of the new season of Demon Slayer.
While I have previously covered The Misfit at Demon King Academy, I have fallen off pace on that one (mostly due to losing interest), and so will not be covering here. I also will cover Girls Band Cry at some point (probably at the end of the season, or whenever it becomes legally available via streaming, whichever comes first) and will be looking at the new movie Oni Girl in a separate post.
NOTE: Entries with an asterisk on the Rating So Far may not include the most recent episode, since this is a reconstitution of a post from 5/17/24 which had technical issues and I am behind on some series because of the convention covering this past weekend.
A Salad Bowl of Eccentrics
Rating So Far*: B
True to its name, this has proven to be a very eclectic series, one which distinctly borrows some influence from Hinamatsuri but goes in different directions with the basic premise. Its princess lives with a detective and assists him in cases in some episodes, while others focus on the female knight, who seems comfortable living homeless and occasionally gets dragged into all sorts of weirdness, including working at a questionable hostess club, befriending a singer whose band has collapsed, and almost getting dragged into a cult. And now it looks like the knight, the cult leader, and the singer are going to form a girl band! While it’s been an interesting series, the rating takes a hit because the content seems too random, with the only uniting theme so far being that it’s practically a travelogue for Gifu Prefecture. Still, the characters are likable enough that I’m willing to let it continue to play out.
As A Reincarnated Aristocrat. . .
Rating So Far: B+
This one joins An Archdemon’s Dilemma as one of the season’s most underappreciated series. Unlike many of its fellow isekai series, the protagonist is not OP; his special ability just allows him to gather the best people around him, and since he makes a habit of picking downtrodden individuals who can show extraordinary talent if given a chance, he tends to engender fierce loyalty from such individuals – including, as it turns out, the girl he’s betrothed to. This is far less eye-rolling in practice than it may sound, and the series has certainly had its satisfyingly dramatic, heavy moments. It also benefits from particularly strong music support. The most recent episode has brought is establishment arc to a close, and forced protagonist Ars into a true leadership role during a time of strife, so I am eager to see where this one goes next.
Chillin’ in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers
Rating So Far: B-
I was going to rate this lower, but episode 6 revealed that it can successfully take itself quite seriously when it needs to, as well as not playing around for too long on acknowledging that main girl Fenrys is formally Flio’s wife. I still have a bit of a problem with how little explanation has been given so far for how and why Flio is so ridiculously powerful, but that is partly offset by some other cute bits, including how the Dark Lord seems to be smitten with the female knight of the group of adventurers who live with Flio and Fenrys (much to the dismay of the knight); an upcoming episode even looks like it will focus on that. Not a world-beater by any means, but it’s entertaining enough and does have one of the most cutesy of all recent OPs.
Date A Live 5
Rating So Far: B
Boy, this one hasn’t been shy about pulling out all of the stops on major reveals! The entirety of the season so far has consisted of a major battle that’s nowhere near done, the lead-up to that battle, and flashbacks that cover nearly two full episodes. But those flashbacks are game-changers, as they reveal the full truth behind the Spirit of Origin and how she’s connected to Elliott, Westcott, Ellen, and, most importantly, Shido. It also explains how Shido winding up meeting all of the Spirits wasn’t just a coincidence and how Reine fits into all of this, amongst other big revelations. The biggest mystery outstanding at this point is how Mana fits into the picture, and there are some dramatic incongruities between her current state and presence in certain flashbacks, but hey, the season’s only half-done. The CG used for the battle scenes is a bit wonky at times, and I do think the series is hurt a bit by having to take itself too seriously (which isn’t its strength) but this is everything that long-time fans of the franchise have been hoping for.
Delicious in Dungeon
Rating So Far This Season: A-
With Frieren and The Apothecary Diaries no longer overshadowing it, this one is breaking out as the top series of the season so far. It handled its more serious content in episodes 14 and 15 remarkably well but also showed that it can easily slip back into form, too, and the seeming addition of Izutsumi to the regular cast adds a dynamic new dimension to the party, both in terms of personality and combat capability. (And with Marcille getting integrated into the monster-eating fold more than she’d care to admit, Izursumi can now take over the outsider view.) Lots of fun dungeon-crawling and cooking ensue as the series gradually builds out the characters more, and it looks great, too. There’s a reason why this was one of the most heavily-cosplayed series at the anime convention I just came back from.
Demon Slayer: Hashira Training Arc
Rating So Far: B+
At its best, Demon Slayer is one of the all-time-great shonen action series, and even when not at its best it’s still one of the best-looking action series TV anime has ever produced. However, the series has been saddled by writing problems in the last couple of seasons, especially on the pacing front. After a double-length first episode and regular-length second episode, the series has yet to show that it has passed beyond those problems. Still, it’s early, and still laying the foundation for the season, so I’m willing to be a bit patient, and exploring the background of first Giyu and (next episode) Kocho should give more insight into developments this season, including Giyu’s ongoing attitude issues. On the downside, the early foundation of the season is training regimens – something that the series is probably overdue for, but how many times have we seen fare like this in other titles? More promising is Tamayo’s invitation to come to the mansion to work with Kocho and the way Nezuko essentially becoming a Daywalker lies at the heart of everything that’s going to happen this season. And the opening acting sequence of the first episode lives up to the series’ reputation, too, just with different Hashira than before getting the attention. At this point, I am cautiously optimistic that this will be a strong season.
Go! Go! Loser Ranger
Rating So Far*: B
I love the concept behind the series, and it has expanded on that by showing that elements within the Dragon Keepers organization are well aware that thing are corrupt at the top. The addition of a female monster is also promising, as is the twist about the current identity of one of the Dragon Keepers. It also has a delightful closer which should be check out even if you don’t watch the rest of the series. My one concern so far is that the series may be taking itself too seriously for its own good. Granted, that does give it a darker edge, but given how ridiculous the base concept is, do you really want that? May be worthy of a higher grade, but I’m going conservative on it for now.
Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night
Rating So Far*: B
How much you like this one may depend entirely on how much you appreciate the cast of misfits that’s coming together to make music videos: one’s an artist who lost her confidence in the fast of criticism, another is a “retired” idol trying to start anew, a third is a troubled piano expert who found inspiration in the idol’s music, and a fourth is a Vtuber who’s also more than a bit of a shut-in. All of the girls are outside of social norms to one degree or another, and the series is rolling with the idea that such a situation can spark great artistic creativity. The series has been modestly successful so far as it takes the girls through various travails of the creative process, but I can’t rate this one higher because, honestly, I have struggled to become invested with it. Still, the recent story about an older idol and her relationship with her daughter was a sweet one, so there’s still potential here.
Kaiju No. 8
Rating So Far: A+ at peak, B overall
In many respects this is a very typical shonen action series; the protagonist may be much older than normal, but he’s still working hard as an underdog to fulfill a childhood promise, and that includes the standard qualifying exam that gets unexpected hairy and him eking his way in because he can’t reveal his true power but, dammit, he has other merits. (And I do appreciate that one of his superiors is recognizing the expertise he brings to the table, and how the most recent episode shows that he’s well worth having on the team for that expertise in monster biology, even he’s not the greatest fighter under normal circumstances.) And of course, it’s silly when it can get away with it, too. But what makes this one stand out is that when it hits on the action front, it hits hard (double meaning intended), and as gloriously (and gorily!) as the best shonen action series. That the hyper-competent girl who would normally look down on him is privy to his secrets is also an interesting angle, though the teen girl maybe starting to have a thing for the much older guy tosses out shades of Tiger & Bunny. The show many never escape the run-of-the-mill shonen action vibes at its core, but it has enough else going for it right now, including a fine mystery about the other human-sized kaiju who can pass as human.
KONOSUBA 3
Rating So Far: B+
For the most part, the series is up to its usual antics, and that is a Good Thing. A visit to the princess provides new avenues for all sorts of humor and hijinks (much to the dismay of Darkness, who’s trying to maintain decorum as a noblewoman), but there’s also an actual plot starting to build, too, with Eris (and thus Chris) seeking to recover special OP artifacts which originally belonged to isekaied individuals and threaten to unbalance the world if not tucked away. Nope, no way a mission to collect those could go wrong. . . The art style is as loose as ever, but if you’ve liked previous seasons, you should like this one, too.
Mission: Yozakura Family
Rating So Far*: B-
This one rides mostly on energy and crazy, spy-related hijinks, and it’s been doing a fair job at it so far. The routines are fairly typical: the spy house is loaded with traps which protagonist Taiyo must learn to navigate, he’s getting trained rigorously by the eccentric family members and going out on missions with them, he has to protect both Mutsumi and himself from threats, and so far, but it’s mostly approached with a light-hearted spirit somewhat in line with Spy x Family, and that Mutsumi isn’t ignorant or helpless (even given that she has no special abilities) is a plus. Works pretty well when you need a dose of mindless fun.
Mushoku Tensei s2 p2
Rating So Far: B+
This quarter has seen almost no action as it deals with the mundanities of Rudeus settling down into family like, including getting a house, formally starting to live with Sylphie, and accepting both his sister Norn and half-sister Aisha as wards while Paul is off to find Zenith. This period features some strong character development, especially involving Nanahoshi and Norn, but again, not much actually happens until Turning Point 3 arrives. It features both a major development and a plot transition which should force the series back into a more active mode, though this time the turning point comes down more to a critical choice Rudeus must make than a dramatic situation that he’s been stuck in, and this time he’s facing it essentially as an adult. I have very much liked how the series has handled Rudeus’s development through this part, and the visuals are still strong, so this one almost rated a notch higher. It’s currently one of the season’s top-rated series on ANN, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio
Rating So Far: B-
Most previous series focusing on voice actors had featured adults struggling to make it in the business, so a series focusing on high school students is a mild twist on the concept. In just a few episodes, the series has taken the leads through many travails – a social media blow-up about a possible casting couch situation, the ins and outs of how voice actor radio shows work, stage vs. private personas, and even how parents can influence the actions of the voice actors at that age. The most interesting aspects so far have been the dramatic contrasts in personality types, balances of strengths and weakness, and envy of the other for leads Chika and Yumiko; the latter envies the former’s talent, while the former envies how outgoing and sociable the latter can be. The strength of the follow-through on the issues the series raises is a concern, as is the ordinary artistic quality, but the yuri teases have gradually increased; this is definitely not as forthright about it as something like Whisper Me a Love Song, though. There has been some (somewhat incongruous) fan service. I am still cautiously optimistic about this one.
The New Gate
Rating So Far: C-
This series had one of the weakest opening episodes of the season, and little to nothing it has done since then gives any indication that it’s going to get better. “Trapped in a game that’s become real” scenarios have been done before and done much better than this, with flaws including a boring lead who’s infallibly powerful, mostly-uninteresting supporting cast, run-of-the-mill mechanics, and limited action sequences. This might have fared better if it had come out a few years ago, but now it’s just a sad retread of concepts borrowed from many other franchises.
Unnamed Memory
Rating So Far: C
Rating this series this low pains me, as I really, really want to like it. Oscar and Tinasha are potentially interesting characters with a potentially interesting relationship, and there is some potentially interesting backstory afoot, too. However, “potential” is all the series has managed so far. It feels like it’s being rushed, though the pacing it is adapting the books atsuggests that this is more a case of the series suffering badly from connecting tissue being trimmed rather than the pacing being rushed. I intend to stick with the series to see if it improves as it moves into adapting the second source novel, but so far this has been the season’s biggest disappointment.
Whisper Me a Love Song
Rating So Far*: B+
I am not a big fan of pure romances, but I love the way this one has progressed. Younger girl Himari is normally the outgoing one, while Yori is the shy one, but when the matter of romance is raised between the two, the roles effectively reverse; Yori is the one to openly declare both romantic love and that she will win Himari over, while Himari is the one who’s unsure whether what she feels is romantic or platonic love. The addition of a love triangle element does not so much spice things up as push Himari, while seeing Yori’s quest to win Himari’s feelings push her to formally join the band and seek to write a love song for the first time is a delight. The only flaw so far – and the reason I’m not rating this even higher – is the very limited animation. Still, this is one of my favorite new series of the season.
That’s it for now. Watch for a special review of the movie Oni Girl later this week, and possibly a mini-feature on Anime Central, too.
USA Anime 
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