Last Update: 1:42 a.m. EDT 10/21/24

NOTE: The Fall 2024 Preview Guide is now complete. It will be taken off of sticky status with the next post.

Welcome to my seasonal Guide! (The debut schedule will be posted here, although it hasn’t been updated yet if you’re seeing this note.) We have multiple series this season debuting before 10/1, so you’ll see a few entries before the Guide starts in earnest on Tuesday 10/1.

I expect to cover every full-episode series that will be debuting this season and many of the sequels/returning series, including Demon Lord, Retry! R, As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, Re: ZERO, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? (which is going straight to episode reviews), Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online II, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, Seirei Gensouki – Spirit Chronicles, Shrangri-La Frontier, and Arifureta. I will not be covering the sequels for The Prince of Tennis KamiErabi GOD.app, Ruroni Kenshin, Blue Exorcist, Tonbo!, Blue Lock, Love Live! Superstar!!, The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse, MF Ghost, After-School Hanako-kun, Natsume’s Book of Friends, or Ron Kaanohashi’s Forbidden Deductions, since I am not caught up on those franchises. The remake of Ranma ½ will get covered (from the perspective of someone who has seen part of the original, including its first season), and we’ll see about Dragon Ball Daima

Debuts are listed below in with the newest ones at the top. This listing may be added to multiple times per day on busier days.

Blue Miburo

Streams: Crunchyroll on Saturdays

Rating: 3 (of 5)

A bit of historical context is needed here: Miburo is short for Mibu Roshigumi, a subgroup of 19 members of the Roshigumi, which consisted of ronin originally assembled under the auspices of supporting the Tokugawa Shogunate (though they were actually intended by their organizer to support imperialists). The greater group was disbanded after coming to Kyoto in 1863, and those who remained behind and formed a group based in the village of Mibu were, indeed, regarded as dangerous troublemakers. But that group would, later that year, be renamed the Shinsengumi and dedicate themselves initially to protecting the streets of Kyoto. In other words, this is looking to be a story about the events leading up to the formal formation of the Shinsengumi, and there are definitely some dramatic events in that period which can be mined.

This episode focuses on two of the Miburo and their eventual recruitment of a sharp, white-haired boy named Nio. (Narration and the OP and ED indicate that at least two other boys will be joining as well.) It’s pretty standard shonen action starter fare, just with a more hard-core historical aspect and strikingly pretty character designs. Aside from period trappings, its only other real distinguishing feature this point is big facial expressions, and the animation definitely takes some shortcuts. A lot is apparently expected of this one, since it’s already scheduled to run for two continuous cours, but what I’ve seen of it so far just isn’t compelling enough for me to follow it.

Arifureta s3

Streams: Crunchyroll on Mondays

Rating: 3 (of 5)

Two OVA episodes have been released since the end of season 2, but those aren’t required viewing for making sense of this debut, since it follows directly from the end of episode 12 of s2. Since it’s been a couple of years since the last installment, this episode opens with Yui making a brief recap of last season as part of some sort of journal entry. Even with that, I still recommend rewatching at least the latter part of s2 before starting this one, as viewers are expected to be familiar with certain key points, especially why Kaori looks different and why so many fellow students are now traveling with Hajime. The post-recap parts of the episode aren’t anything special for the series, with the bunny people that Hajime trained into monsters popping up again as part of dealing with slavers from the Empire. The way they’ve taken Hajime’s edgelord tendencies and fully run with it is rather amusing; so much of what he is an how he acts is played so straight despite how ridiculous it is, so humor at his expense on this is always welcome.

Basically, this is just more of the same for the franchise. If you’ve liked it before, this episode shouldn’t disappoint, but it doesn’t do much to distinguish itself.

Shangri-La Frontier s2 (ep 26)

Streams: Crunchyroll on Sundays

Rating: 4 (of 5)

I’m tempted to let this one go with just a “more of the same” comment, as that’s exactly what we’re getting here: more flashy, energetic, and well-animated battles, more rabbit goofiness, more hints of bigger in-game storylines, more SF Mini, and another bangin’ metal-themed OP. On the downside, that also means more excessive lead-in/recap, though I’ll forgive this episode on the latter point since the series is returning after a season off. The series still looks as sharp as ever, too. Plot-wise, Sunraku and his rabbit allies have continued their quest to upgrade Bilac to an Ancient Crafter by going to the area known as Ruins of Past Glories, which is swarming with golems. But they’re also being trailed by some individuals who are none too keen on Sunraku not including them in this mission.

The OP shows several unfamiliar characters, so there should be some interesting new additions to the recurring cast this season. Overall, this episode shows no reason to think that this won’t be another solid season for arguably the best of the game play-through series out there.

Demon Lord 2099

Streams: Crunchyroll on Saturdays

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)

Demon Lord Vetol was the leader of the Immortals in a grand battle against mortal races, but he was ultimately defeated by Graham, the Hero, after a fierce battle. 500 years later, one of his surviving chief subordinates manages to resurrect him, but he learns very quickly that times have changed, and he’s been left behind. After his world fused with that of another (Earth) and much of the population died off, a new world has stabilized in a fusion of magic and technology, and it’s one where Vetol is now at a significant disadvantage due to a betrayal by one of his other former chief subordinates. Vetol will now have to figure out a new way of doing things in a world specifically designed to not be subject to his whims.

Consider this rating a balance of my enthusiasm for how the concept is executed vs. its very pedestrian set-up and execution. The concept is a mix of “reincarnated/resurrected Demon Lord” and “Demon Lord in another world” stories, but the crucial difference here is that the new version of the DL isn’t still all-powerful. Rather than the DL using magic that’s been lost over time, magic has advanced and passed him by thanks to tech devices which more than overcome the DL’s previous advantage (the ability to cast powerful spells quickly), and those devices are specifically designed so he can’t use them. It’s a great way to get the “OP protagonist” concept under control, and Vetol’s brief contact with a magical hacker is promising, too. The series is aiming for a decidedly cyberpunk aesthetic, but we’ll see how effectively that play out. The concept is enough to carry this one for now, and it’s why it will make my weekly viewing list.

The Do-Over Damsel Conquers the Dragon Emperor

Streams: Crunchyroll on Wednesdays

Rating: 3 (of 5)

Somewhere between last year’s 7th Time Loop and Tearmoon Empire lie this light novel adaptation. Like both titles, this one takes the female protagonist (Jill, in this case) back in time six years in order to avoid an ugly fate. She was betrothed to the prince of her country while still young and grew up to fight fiercely on his behalf, but he eventually sought to do away with her when she accidentally discovered the incestuous relationship he was having with his beloved sister. When, upon her apparent death, she flashes back to the moment she first met the prince, she does everything to avoid him, even making a blind marriage proposal to a man who turns out to be the Emperor who causes her country such grief years down the road. Unlike 7th Time Loop‘s Emperor Arnold, though, Emperor Hadis is utterly delighted (he’s a lolicon at heart, you see) rather than calculating about it and promptly whisks her away.

Much like Tearmoon, this one starts out completely serious and continues to have some serious elements throughout, (And younger Jill looks an awful lot like Tearmoon‘s Mia), but after the time loop more humorous elements – even to the point of being silly at times – start to show as well. The first episode struggles to find a proper balance at first, but Tearmoon also did initially and it ended up as one of the most entertaining series of its season. I’m a bit more hesitant about this one (especially with Hadis’s clear lolicon inclination), and its animation isn’t great, but the series looks good artistically, Jill is a likable protagonist, and similar series have worked out before, so I’ll give it at least another episode or two.

A Terrified Teacher at Ghoul School!

Streeams: Crunchyroll on Tuesdays

Rating: 1.5 (of 5)

I chose this screenshot because this is what I’d like to do myself to protagonist Abe Haruaki, who may be the single most irritating protagonist whom I’ve encountered not just this year, but in quite some time. He’s the entire reason why I am rating so low a series that is otherwise pretty standard “everyone in class is supernatural” fare and serves up an impressive range of supernatural Japanese entities, some of which I don’t think I’ve even heard of before. And yeah, it’s definitely not a coincidence that one student keeps misinterpreting his last name as “Seimei,” since the series makes it pretty clear that he’s supposed to be a descendant of famed onmyoji Abe no Seimei, and one who’s unwittingly strongly inherited his famous ancestor’s talent for exorcism. That makes him more ideal for a classroom of youkai misfits than most (including Abe) realize.

But again, Abe is the problem. He has absolutely no business being a teacher, for a plethora of reasons. Speaking as a long-time teacher, classes will eat you alive if you show that kind of timidity in front of students (maybe literally in this case?), and you have no business even trying to be a teacher if you don’t have more backbone than what he’s showing. His school uniform fetish is a tasteless choice, too, and his motives for wanting to get the one skipping student to attend are far from pure. He’s a mess, and not in a way that I find the slightest bit entertaining. There are a couple of mild laughs to be found here, and I could see an exploration of the various youkai being a bit interesting, but this one’s a hard drop for me.

Haigakura

Streams: Amazon Prime on Mondays

Rating: 1.5 (of 5)

This one is based on a manga by the same original creator as Amatsuki (a 2008 anime that no one probably remembers), but properly reviewing its anime version is a bit problematic, since Amazon Prime’s English subtitles mysteriously drop at the episode’s 19:13 mark, leaving the last few minutes untranslated. What is shown up to that point is not promising, however. Young man Ishiyo is a Kashi, a person who combine dance and song in order to capture gods in pearls in a setting where both the immortal and human realms are on the verge of collapse. The problem is that Ichiyo horribly sucks at singing (portrayed here as incomprehensible death metal growling), so the contracts he makes with his “kashikan” (read: supernatural helpers) is imperfect, resulting in them being colorful and sometimes problematic but also fiercely protective. Ichiyo’s not doing too well, including getting into conflict with a fellow Kashi, but apparently he might be getting sent on a mission to the human realm? So much of what’s going on here is unclear even without the translation issue.

The other problem here is that this is far from stellar on the visual front as well, with somewhat limited animation and numerous scenes that just don’t look good. Base designs don’t look bad but don’t stick out much, either, and the same can be said for the musical score. Also doesn’t help that Ichiyo isn’t particularly likable. The joke about Ichiyo’s awful singing is the one truly entertaining moment, but otherwise the promise of supernatural battles isn’t enough to buoy this one up. Pass here.

Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles s2

Streams: Crunchyroll on Mondays

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)

The first season, in 2021, ended with truncated scenes involving protagonist Kirito Haruto/Rio encountering a few Japanese who had just been transported to his new world by pillars of light, including his former love Miharu. This season starts with the full version of those scenes, including the confirmation that Aki (who appeared very briefly at the beginning of s1) is the biological sister Haruto had whom he never saw again after his parents’ divorce. The new trio meets Aisha and Celia, the possibility that their arrival might have something to do with an old legend about the arrival of six heroes (which is supposed to be heralded by the kinds of pillars of light seen at the end of last season) is raised, and Celia is now dressed in a loaned track suit, but that’s about it. In other words, this episode is more finishing out what started at the end of last season than advancing the story.

The first season was characterized by looking a little better than average and Haruto/Rio being too bland and even-tempered a Nice Guy, but it did have some mildly compelling story points. None of that has changed despite the three-year gap. The one difference is the weird overlapping language effect in the English dub when Aisha uses some translation magic (you hear the words in English but also in another language voiced by Aisha’s VA), which is an interesting effect but also distracting. At least the potential language barrier is brought up, though, and the probability that the other two with Miharu and Aki at the time of the summoning are also out there and need to be found provides an initial plot direction beyond just getting away from Celia’s would-be fiance. While nothing spectacular, it lays a firm enough story foundation that I will likely follow this season, too, even if not as a high-priority view.

Yakuza Fiancé

Streams: Crunchyroll on Mondays

Rating: 1.5 (of 5)

In this manga adaptation, Yoshino is the 17-year-old granddaughter of a prominent Osaka-based yakuza boss. She balks at the proposition of an arranged marriage to seal peace with a Tokyo-based boss’s grandson, but eventually agrees to go to Tokyo to at least meet him. Though charming at first, he is a true yakuza (tattoos and all!), and a masochist at that. When Yoshino turns out to not be the haughty, domineering type he was hoping for, he gets bored with her and tells it to her face. At that point, Yoshino decides to follow her grandfather’s advice: get Kirishima (the grandson) to fall in love with her, then dump him. The problem is that the “get him to fall in love with you” part works maybe too well.

I have all sorts of reasons not to like this one, not the least of which is the unappealing design aesthetic. Among other things, these characters don’t at all looking convincingly like 17-year-olds, and something about the body proportions for Yoshino in particular feels a little off. We’ll also set aside practicalities like how Kirishima could get away with attending school with those kind of tattoos, regardless of his yakuza affiliation being generally-known, or how Yoshino could have sold a kidney when she’s underage. (We are talking about crime families here.) Kirishima’s attitude is ugly in a completely unendearing way, but even so, I find the whole concept of revenge-dumping to be repugnant. This one will probably find an audience – many have been anticipating it – but even Yoshino’s dramatic late attitude reversal isn’t enough to interest me in watching more.

Nina the Starry Bride

Streams: Crunchyroll on Mondays

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)

Manga-ka Rikachi has released nearly two dozen (mostly romance) manga titles over the last two decades, but this is the first one to make it to anime form, and it came highly-anticipated, enough so that it’s even getting simuldubbed. (This review is based on the dubbed version.) The first episode doesn’t do anything spectacular, and certainly isn’t in league with an elite title like The Apothecary Diaries, but it does at least mostly live up to the anticipation.

The concept here isn’t anything special: Nina is a poor orphan whose only distinguishing feature, brilliant blue eyes, results in her being taken in by her country’s second prince and trained to be a replacement for Princess Alisha, who was supposed to marry a prince from an important neighboring nation but has recently died in an accident that probably wasn’t totally an accident. Because that death was kept secret, and because no one at court (including her father!) knows what she currently looks like since the princess was sequestered from an early age, Prince Azure is going to train her to be Alisha’s stand-in for the betterment of the country. Naturally, plucky Nina both isn’t entirely happy about this and is fearful of being caught in the deception, but she also knows lives are on the line and there’s something about Azure which almost certainly will lead to romantic feelings down the road. And naturally, there’s a disagreeable queen who wants to put both Azure and Nina in their places, though she doesn’t (yet) seem to suspect the deception.

The one variation on the norm for this scenario is that Nina doesn’t have to focus on looking and behaving exactly like Alisha since no one in the court has any baseline for comparison. Because of that, more of Nina’s own character comes through. Otherwise the progression of events is mostly predictable, though I do have to wonder how the story will get to the much darker opening scene. The design elements, with their vaguely Middle Eastern aesthetic, are sharp, though the animation is more ordinary, but the series doesn’t strongly stand out here, either. Overall, I am mildly positive about this one and so will probably continue to follow it.

TsumaSho

Streams: Crunchyroll on Sundays

Rating: 3 (of 5)

Keisuke met his wife-to-be Takae at work, and they had a daughter and lived together for several happy years until Takae dies in an accident. A decade later, neither Keisuke nor his daughter Mai has fully moved on from Takae’s passing, but then a 10-year-old girl arrives at their doorstep and very convincingly claims to be Takaer reincarnated, a fact she only recently became awate of. For Keisuke and Mai, it’s a dream come true, even if the situation is fraught with potential problems- not the least of which is Takae’s troublesome mother in her new life.

Boy, this concept could have so easily veered into creepy directions, but at least Takae has common sense enough to chastise Keisuke on how sideways this situation could go if they’re not careful. (Society doesn’t look kindly on middle-aged men interacting with unrelated elementary school girls, and all too often with good reason.) The second episode of the debut starts to hint at potential complications with the introduction of Takae’s mother, and there are just so many other potential pitfalls here, including a younger female coworker of Keisuke’s who seems to be taking an interest in him. But at least the series is taking a remarkably thoughtful approach to its ridiculous concept and especially the processing of grief. Production merits aren’t anything special, so the appeal of this one is all on the gimmick and how it plays out. Right now, I’m enough on the fence about it that I may watch another episode or two.

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War s3

Streams: Hulu on Saturdays

Rating: 2 (of 5)

Oh, to be sure, this episode looks good, with its flashy artistry in the display of two Squad Zero members using their Bankai. Despite that, though, the first new episode in more than a year turns out to be a yawner. Watch as Yhwatch and Uryu defeat the needlessly-elaborate (and CG-enhanced) displays of power by two Squad Zero members, then the Quincies move on to go after the Soul King directly. Ho-hum. Even Ichigo and crew arriving too late to help, and being sent on to pursue the Quincies and protect the Soul King (who certainly isn’t going to die as easily as is shown at the end of the episode) doesn’t spice things up.

I think I’ve seen literally every minute of Bleach animation made to date, but even so, I’m finding my interest in it flagging and only watching for completeness’ sake. The Squad Zero people just aren’t interesting, nor are Yhwatch’s flunkies beyond Uryu, or, really, Yhwatch himself. I’m not sure what the franchise could even do to save itself at this point, either. Unless the next episode does something a lot more interesting, this might finally be the point where I let the franchise go.

You are Ms. Servant

Streams: Crunchyroll on Saturdays

Rating: 2 (of 5)

Boy, the official English name for this manga adaptation sucks. Why not just use “Ms. Maid” instead of “Ms. Servant”? Regardless, the name refers to a nameless maid who’s a former assassin who has, for some unrevealed reason, shown up at Hitoyoshi’s door practically desperate to be employed by him. While she’s very capable with knives, she doesn’t otherwise have any domestic skills at all, but she does save Hitoyoshi from being run over by Truck-kun, so he takes pity on her and hires her. And he does, indeed, need a maid.

I can see what this one is aiming for, and some of the sentimentality towards the end of the episode does land, but the major problem here is that this concept has been done before and done much, much better. (See Mahoromatic: Automatic Maiden, and possibly others.) It’s not fresh enough, funny enough, or sexy enough, either, and aside from the maid’s design it does nothing special on the visual front, either. With a lot of stronger content already available on Saturdays, this one looks like a pass if episode 2 can’t turn it around.

The Healer Who Was Banished From His Party Is, in Fact, the Strongest

Streams: Crunchyroll on Saturdays

Rating: 3 (of 5)

In this light novel adaptation, Narusena, as a child, was saved from a monster attack by the healer Laust, and resolved at that point to become an adventurer who could protect him. Years later, she’s become a martial artist and finally tracked him down, only to discover that he’s developed a reputation as incompetent. That doesn’t stop her from forming a party with him, and a little initial dungeon exploration strongly suggests to her that he’s far more capable than what people give him credit for. Meanwhile, something seems to be going on in the local dungeon which is driving tougher monsters up to higher levels than they should be at.

I’m getting distinct shades of I Parry Everything (where the character may not be capable of advanced skills but is is super-strong and super-diverse at the ones he does have), but otherwise these seems like a pretty standard fantasy set-up for recent years. Yet something about it clicks just enough that I’ll probably give it a try. A lot has to do with the design, behavior, and convincing martial arts movements of Narusena, although a well-paced first episode and respectable (if unspectacular) artistic and technical merits definitely help. Very cautiously optimistic here.

Ranma ½

Streams: Netflix on Saturdays

Rating: 4 (of 5)

Did this much-beloved franchise (based on a Rumiko Takahashi manga) actually need a remake? Regardless, it’s getting a 2024 update, and honestly, the production by studio MAPPA looks pretty darn good. Sure, the the slightly softer and more rounded character designs may take a little getting used to for fans of the original, but the animation quality is a distinct upgrade, especially in one much more fully-realized early action scene between female Ranma and Genma’s panda form, and I prefer the scene framing in this version. The English dub is also a substantial improvement, but that wouldn’t be hard; the original female Ranma performance was almost legendarily bad, and Suzie Yeung (Lena in 86, Makima in Chainsaw Man) is more than just competent. In general, the dub seems well-cast. Meanwhile, the Japanese cast features the return of many of the seiyuu who voiced the original series. (The original voice of Soun Tendo seems to have retired, and the original voice of Genma is now the narrator.)

For those unfamiliar with the earlier version, the set-up is relatively simple but primed for all sorts of comedic potential. Ranma Saotome and his father Genma were training in China when they became cursed to change forms when exposed to cold water: Genma turns into a panda and Ranma changes genders. That complicates the plans of Genma’s old friend Soun to have Ranma marry one of his daughters and inherit his dojo. Akane, the youngest and the one most inclined to martial arts, is deemed most suitable for this even though she’s a professed man-hater. But neither Akane nor Ranma are keen on this idea, and their temperaments and some incidents in the bathroom don’t help.

So yeah, it’s a standard, wacky romcom set-up, but it still works even in this day and age because of its well-paced and well-controlled energy. I can easily see this series turning the franchise into a hit for a new generation.

Orb: On the Movements of the Earth

Streams: Netflix on Saturdays

Rating: 4.5 (of 5)

In 15th-century Europe, the geocentric interpretation of the cosmos (where everything rotates around the Earth) dominated and any suggestion otherwise was considered heretical – and at that time, heretical accusations could result in torture or even being burned at the stake. Rafal, a brilliant 12-year-old on an early path to university, accepts the geocentric theory wholeheartedly until he encounters Hubert, a man who had supposedly recanted his heretical belief, who casts doubt in Rafal’s mind and gets him to at least seriously consider the possibility of heliocentrism. Once Rafal does that, he finds it difficult to turn back and eventually resolves to continue his study of astronomy in secret as Hubert’s successor while outwardly professing to pursue theology, since there are dangerous eyes all around.

This adaptation of an award-winning manga was one of my most-anticipated titles of the season, and its two-episode debut doesn’t disappoint. It can be quite harsh at times, with strong suggestions of torture (including in its opening scene!) and a burning at the stake, but it’s also fascinating in the way it portrays a young genius’s eyes being opened to new, dangerous possibilities. The title is a reference to Copernicus’s ground-breaking work On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, and many references are made to actual historical figures, so this looks like it’s going to be deeply grounded in historical detail even if it is a work of fiction. (Rafal does not yet seem to be based on an actual historical figure.) The animation production by Madhouse has some static scenes but otherwise does a solid job of capturing the look and feel of the setting, and the very distinct musical score by Kensuke Ushio (who is also doing the score for DAN DA DAN) also merits mention. This is a definite keeper.

How I Attended an All-Guys Mixer

Streams: HIDIVE on Fridays

Rating: 2.5 (of 5)

This manga adaptation milks an entire full-length episode out of essentially one joke: college student Tokiwa and his two buddies are invited to a 3-on-3 mixer with one of Tokiwa’s classmates, only to discover that all three of the women attending are dressed as hot guys (because they all work at a drag king bar and just came from work). Assorted hijinks ensue as the meeting moves from a bar to karaoke to an arcade to campus the next day (where one still cross-dresses and is regarded as the campus’s elusive prince) and the guys try to sort out how they feel about women whom they know are supposed to be hot cross-dressing.

Nothing here is truly tasteless, and the episode does get better as it goes on and the personalities of the six characters start to come out more. Suo (Tokiwa’s classmate on left in the screenshot) is the most amusing, as she seems to delight in the trouble the guys are having dealing with this scenario, and there are a few genuinely funny moments throughout. However, this plays more as a simple attempt as humor rather than serious social commentary for now, and that may not sit well with everyone. Also, I think this would have worked better with half-episodes or being mixed in with other elements, as the central joke never changes. Can’t see myself following this one, but I might give another episode a try if I have the time.

Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc.

Streams: Amazon Prime on Fridays

Rating: 4 (of 5)

In the world of job hunter Kana, natural disasters called Kaii necessitate the presence of magical girls, so much so that literally hundreds of companies offer magical girl services. Magilumiere is a small start-up in the field whose only magical girl, Hitomi (on left in screenshot) is being overworked, so they’re looking to hire. Kana gets involved in one of Hitomi’s jobs when a Kaii shows up at one of Kana’s interview sites. Though not a magical girl herself, Kana’s superior memory proves invaluable to the defeat of the Kaii, so it looks like she’s getting recruited.

Essentially, this manga adaptation turns the activities of magical girls into a business, complete with adult women (and apparently one man?) filling those roles as regular jobs. In the process, it offers a lot to like, whether it’s a crisp look which integrates in CG pretty well, respectable action sequences, sharply-defined and likable central characters, or the world-building elements which have magic looking very technologically-based. This one feels like a winner in every respect, and is almost certain to make my viewing list for the season.

The Stories of Girls Who Couldn’t Be Magicians

Streams: Crunchyroll on Fridays

Rating: 3 (of 5)

Yes, this screen shot does reflect what this series really looks like. Much of the artistry looks like it was done with colored pencils, and the whole aesthetic decidedly leans towards kids’ fare. That actually works pretty well for a setting where magic is quite prominent, but it’s likely to be a big barrier for many anime fans.

The story isn’t anything special Kurumi was inspired to pursue magic upon an encounter with a Magician as a child, and studied her butt off to make that happen. Unfortunately, she only ended up in the Standard Program at her school instead of the magic-focused program (a feat she doesn’t fully appreciate since many don’t even make it into the Standard Program even after going through prep schools). But her hope for being a Magician may not be totally dashed when her childlike new teacher declares that she’s going to turn the whole class into magicians.

This has all the feel of becoming a light, cute tale a bit apart from normal anime trappings, but it doesn’t really feel like a title aimed at anime fans. Still, it’s not bad, and hopefully will find an audience.

Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online II

Streams: Crunchyroll on Fridays

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)

Six years of real time have passed since the first installment of this spinoff, but in-series only a couple of months have passed. Now it’s time for Squad Jam 3. Karen actually isn’t super-enthusiastic about it, but she did make an in-person promise to the leader of the Amazons for a grudge match, and since Llenn won’t go head-to-head with her again, Pitohui is only too happy to team up with Llenn, Fukaziroh, and M to make one of the front-runner teams for the event. And they will definitely have no shortage of challengers, given that their team members included the 2nd and 3rd place finishers from last time.

In other words, not a lot is actually going on in this episode beyond the set-up for the next big event. This is an opportunity to re-introduce all of the major players from the first season, and given how much time has passed since the original, that’s totally fine; I had forgotten about most of them anyway. Hence, aside from the in media res prologue, this is a pretty tame episode, but the characters look great (including a little fan service) and the production merits look solid. Should be interesting to see how things play out with Llenn and Pitohui on the same side this time.

Blue Box

Streams: Netflix on Thursdays

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)

A mix of sports and romance is hardly unusual for anime adaptations of manga, and that’s exactly what this series is. The only slight difference from the norm here is that two different sports – albeit both ones played in a gym! – are involved.

In this one, Taiki is the boys’ badminton player who’s become entranced with Chinatsu, the up-and-coming star of his sports-oriented school’s girls basketball team, who, like him, is commonly at the gym practicing early before school. Most of the first episode (two are available, but due to time constraints, I only sampled the first) is about him working up the nerve to actually talk with her, but as it turns out, they have more of a connection than they realize: because their mothers were high school basketball teammates who stayed in contact over the years, Chinatsu’s going to be living with Taiki’s family to finish out her school career when hers moves overseas for work. In other words, yes, for all of the effort the first episode does to set the mood, the series is going the “contrived cohabitation” route. And while I know Taiki being clueless about this happening is for dramatic effect, anime parents really are awful about making sure their kids know about new housemates, aren’t they? There’s also another girl in the picture – a gymnast and childhood friend – who looks like she could be the third vertex in an upcoming love triangle.

Although I’m not fond of some aspects of the character designs, this is a good-looking series with some solid animation effort and a gentle, wistful musical score to help establish the tone. While it doesn’t feel like it quite achieved the emotional impact it should, it still lays a solid foundation for future sports and romantic developments.

Kinokoinu – Mushroom Pup

Streams: Crunchyroll on Thursdays

Rating: 2 (of 5)

In this manga adaptation, children’s author Hotaru is depressed because his beloved dog Hanako passed a few weeks earlier after a long life, and his childhood friend/editor Komako can’t shake him out of it. The appearance of a mushroom-capped doglike creature that Hotaru takes to calling Kinokoinu changes that. With its help, Hotaru is finally able to accept Hanako’s loss.

Boy, this one ended up being quite a bit more serious than I was expecting it to be, even if it does have a lighter tone in places. The problem is that it’s too placid for much of its run and Hotaru is too dull, and the rest simply isn’t cute enough to make up for that. Limited animation and a dragging pace don’t help, either. A 23-minute format just doesn’t feel right here; this may have worked better at 15 minutes. Not something I care to watch more of, and I’m not even sure what audience it was intended for.

Trillion Game

Streams: Crunchyroll on Thursdays

Rating: 3 (of 5)

In this adaptation of a manga from the creator of Eyeshield 21 and Dr. Stone, slick conman Haru teams up with socially awkward engineer Gaku to build a new star-up that will eventually turn them both into billionaires, all on the road to achieving even more glorious goals. Towards that end they get key investment from brilliant heiress Kirika, who saw the potential of each when they interviewed for jobs at her father’s company.

That pretty much sums up this two-episode debut, which is going to be in the running for Least-Necessary Extended Debut of the Year. Sure, starting with the second episode as well shows how the prominently-advertised Kirika gets involved in Haru’s scheme, but the style and feel of the show is set plenty well enough by the first episode. I don’t doubt that the paths to success for some recent start-ups who have gotten big quick aren’t much different from what we’re seeing here, and the sharp contrast between Gaku’s anxiousness and Haru’s confidence, as well as Gaku’s clever schemes, can certainly have its entertainment value. The visual aren’t bad to look at, either (although the animation effort is far less ambitious). Still, I’ve never been a fan of conmen-centered titles so this one isn’t for me.

Mecha-Ude: Mechanical Arms

Streams: Crunchyroll on Thursdays

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)

Hikaru is an ordinary middle schooler who gets caught up in great events when a mysterious voice he’s hearing, pleading for help, leaves him to find a glowing cube, which becomes attached to his hoodie and manifests a large, talking mechanical arm. This new arm, called Alma, does not remember much but has apparently escape from some kind of lab, and two opposing forces are attempting to recover it. Hikaru is just trying to keep him alive and out of trouble, but that becomes harder when a representative of one side -the double-Mecha-Ude-user Aki – not-at-all-coincidentally becomes his new classmate.

This shonen action-leaning series is a reboot in series form of a crowdfunded one-shot ONA of the same name released in 2018 (one that does not seem to be easily available online). Though the plot is fairly ordinary and the characters and setting nothing special, it’s an ambitious-looking and especially sounding effort, with spectacular action, an animation style reminiscent of Studio Trigger, and a musical score provided by Hiroyuki Sawano, the man behind the music for Attack on Titan, Blue Exorcist, 86, and The Seven Deadly Sins (among many others). It even has both an OP and an ED that will be among the best of the season. I’m a bit concerned about whether or not the series can offer anything fresh on the long-term plotting front, but so far it’s showing some promise.

Goodbye, Dragon Life

Streams: Crunchyroll on Thursdays

Rating: 2.5 (of 5)

Reincarnation fantasy series don’t come much more bland than this light novel adaptation. In the story, Dolan was the most powerful of dragons in his former life, but in his new one as a human he lives as a humble man in a remote village (albeit one who seems to be more capable than average). While on an exploration to investigate why some lizard folk have disappeared from a nearby swamp, he encounters Celina, a newly-adult lamia on her race’s traditional quest to find a husband, and the two work together to deal with the source of the problem: a rampaging earth elemental. They seemingly part at the end of the episode, though Celina so prominently is shown in the OP that she’s likely going to end up being a cast regular, if not trying to marry Dolan. (And why wouldn’t she? He’s a strapping guy reminiscent of Oscar from Unnamed Memory who certainly seems tougher than average, perhaps even tough enough to survive interacting with a lamia physically.)

The major problem is that there’s just no spark here. Hardly anything is interesting about the situation or the world-building, and what little lingering mystery there is over Dolan’s death as a dragon (i.e., why the man who killed him did so and why he didn’t seem happy about it) isn’t even reference. The production effort is also competent but unexceptional. I might give this one another episode to see if it shows any sign of amounting to anything, but so far it’s just too ordinary for its own good.

DAN DA DAN

Streams: Crunchyroll on Thursdays

Rating: 4.5 (of 5)

Boy, I wish I’d gotten to see this manga adaptation on the big screen when it did the rounds back in September! I have no doubt that something this visually ambitious (courtesy of studio Science SARU) would have looked fantastic on a big screen. Even on my 40″ set, it’s still the most visually stunning debut of the season, a viewing experience I can probably most nearly equate to the first time I saw FLCL back in the day.

The plot here isn’t complicated: a delinquent girl who believes in the occult and is pissed at being dumped by her boyfriend (who doesn’t look like the actor she idolizes anyway) winds up crossing paths with an alien conspiracy theory-obsessed geek when she discourages some bullying aimed at him. Neither can accept the other’s passion, so they challenge each other to experience the other’s passion. The problem comes when both, unfortunately, find what they were looking for: Ken gets possessed by a ghost and Momo gets kidnapped by aliens. And that’s when things get truly wild, as both wind up manifesting powers to get themselves at least partly out of the predicament, all while starting down the path to romance.

Momo being stuck in a position of potential sexual assault may not set well with some viewers, but otherwise this is a wild and perverse opener with a likable central duo, a good relationship foundation, and plenty of energy and visual style to go around. (Not to mention a rapping OP by Creepy Nuts, the guys behind the themes for Call of the Night.) I’ll definitely be back each week to watch more.

Negative Positive Angler

Streams: Crunchyroll on Thursdays

Rating: 4 (of 5)

How anime can take even a mundane topic and make it interesting really is remarkable. That’s definitely the case for this original series, which has a seriously down-on-his-luck college student being rescued by a group of angler friends when he falls off a bridge while fleeing from apparent loan sharks. They can’t take him home right away, since they were boating out to a breakwater to fish, so he winds up being convinced to try fishing as something to do while waiting. Though it hasn’t been a life-altering experience yet, protagonist Tsunehiro does seem to find a connection to the struggle to live inherent in fishing, since he may not have long to live himself. (It’s implied that he has a brain tumor.)

Despite opening with a failed suicide attempt, the episode is more light-hearted than any description might suggest, and it makes some oddly cartoonish choices on character designs at times. What it does take seriously, though, is the overall artistic and animation effort, especially in the technical aspects of the fishing sequences. It also sells its inherent message about how fishing can equate to the flow of life and has an inviting supporting cast already. This comes from a solid pedigree – the director of Saga of Tanya the Evil and FLCL Alternative and the writer for the adaptations of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End and One Punch Man – and shows a lot promise on many fronts. I won’t be following it, but it should find an audience.

365 Days To The Wedding

Streams: Crunchyroll on Thursdays

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)

In this manga adaptation, Takuya and Rika are single loners at the travel agency where they both work. Both have strong personal reasons to avoid a transfer to a new Anchorage, Alaska branch a year down the road (a job which is going to be given to a single person), so to avoid that, Rika proposes the two set up a fake engagement. Takuya agrees, but their plans to keep this low-key quickly get dashed when their boss and coworkers all delight in the news of their upcoming weeding. All sorts of hijinks will undoubtedly ensue as the two work to establish a backstory to maintain their illusion. But how long is it going to remain just chicanery?

The “fake marriage to ward off other problems” is is a fairly common gimmick in romance stories focusing on adult characters, and doubtless a lot of the hijinks and problems typical with those stories will be in play here. However, the approach is much rarer in anime, and I also like the angle of a pair of social misfits trying to pull it off to be intriguing. They’re convincing enough as an awkward couple and both potential stressors and potential hooks for each to be eventually attracted to the other are already in play. Nothing stellar about the visuals and technical merits, but they’re not bad, either. (And I also like the cat already!) I am mildly optimistic that this one could be worth following.

Re:Zero s3

Streams: Crunchyroll on Wednesdays

Rating: 4 (of 5)

No matter how peaceful this series ever seems to be, it’s always only a matter of time before the hammer drops, before Subaru’s Return By Death ability triggers again. In the case of this movie-length season debut, the series spends nearly 80 minutes priming that hammer and another seven cocking it back before finally letting it fall in exactly the kind of horrific display that this franchise has become well-known for. “Theatrical Malice,” indeed.

Unlike the previous two series, this one starts out quite peacefully. A year has passed since the events at Sanctum (and Subaru officially becoming Emilia’s knight and Beatrice’s contractor) and Emilia now finds herself invited to Watergate, where she might obtain a gem that would help her call back Puck, who has yet to re-emerge. Subaru, Beatrice, Otto, and Garfiel all go with her, and while there they end up meeting with the other four Royal Candidates and some of their key entourage members. Ostensibly this is to discuss the Witch’s Cult, but really it’s just an excuse to re-introduce a number of key players from the previous two seasons and introduce two important ones for the upcoming season, including Julius’s younger brother and the bard Liliana, who performs an impromptu duet with Subaru in one of the episode’s neatest scenes. But even during these calm early parts, hints of trouble lurk, including an unknowing street encounter with the Sin Archbishop of Greed (whom none of that group met) and the troublesome father of Reinhard and son of Wilhelm, who seems determined to make things difficult for both of them. But the real mayhem begins when the Sin Archbishop of Wrath shows up and the dread of the imminent slaughter she’s setting up grows. Even knowing that something is coming, the exact nature of what happens may still be a surprise.

Having all these familiar characters back is a joy, and seeing both Beatrice’s reactions to things and the complicated relationship within the Astrea family is a real delight, as is Priscilla’s reappearance; while I never liked her as a character, she certainly makes an impression, and her interaction with the bard is particularly interesting given her established behavior. (Kudos also to Aya Yamane, or whoever else gives Liliana her gorgeous singing voice.) Even so, this set-up does seem a wee bit long, and Wrath’s shtick stretches towards the point of being tiresome, too. Still, the stunning climax makes up for it and the episode in general does its job of setting up all kinds of story threads for the season. With artistic merits being at least a match for previous seasons (the design of Watergate in particular is quite cool), this installment looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun, too.

Acro Trip

Streams: Crunchyroll on Wednesdays

Rating: 3 (of 5)

Disaffected middle schooler Chizuko was just supposed to be living at her grandfather’s place for a week while her mother took care of moving, but she decided to stay in Niigata Prefecture when something actually caught her attention: Berry Blossom, a magical girl who defends the local area from evil organization Fossa Magna and its (mostly incompetent) bishonen leader Chroma. But as much as she adores Berry, something’s lacking. Her fights just don’t seem like a challenge. That gets the attention of Chroma, who has decidedly masochistic feelings toward Berry, and so he tries to recruit her to join Fossa Magna and engineer better battles between him and Berry. Chizuko is trying to resist, but is she gradually getting lured down the path of evil?

In a season which has other prominent subversive takes on magical girl titles, this one seems to be sailing under the radar. But despite its distinct comedy lean, it’s no less subversive. It’s also more detail-dense than it might appear at a casual glance; much like with Demon Girl Next Door, there are a number of odd things going on in the backgrounds if you watch for them that are doubtless going to lead to something later on. (Other characters in the promo art for the series make cameo appearances in episode 1, for instance.) Other world-building tidbits are afoot, too, such as some of the strictures on magic, how the magical girl doesn’t get along with the police (why isn’t too hard to understand, give one feature scene in episode 1), and so forth. The designs of characters’ eyes are just plain weird, but otherwise the artistic effort is clean and on the simpler side in design, though a little above-average in execution. Overall, I’m more torn on this one than anything that’s debuted up to this point, as I am unsure if the humor aspect is hitting well enough, but with its initial two episodes both available, the series is at least worth a look.

Tying the Knot with an Amagami Sister

Streams: Crunchyroll on Tuesdays

Rating: 2 (of 5)

This manga adaptation is a classic harem romcom set-up: a young man studying for collegiate entrance exams has come to live at a shrine operated by an old priest and his three shrine maiden granddaughters. They somewhat get to know each other through various romcom hijinks and minor crises before the priest finally returns and declares that he’s expecting the young man to marry one of the sisters and take over the shrine – which is ironic, since the young man has little respect for or belief in religion.

The necessities for a romcom set-up are there: unfamiliar people cohabitating under contrived circumstances and a wide variety of girls in build hair color, and age: one is older and curvy but also airhead, one is the same age and has a fiery disposition, and one is younger than protagonist Uryu and the mischievous type. Hence viewers of all tastes can be accommodated! There’s also a vague hint of something genuinely mystical being afoot, and the later stages of the episode do settle down to effectively emphasize the potential beauty of the scenario. The biggest problem is that the artistic merits are definitely not sufficient to support it; this is a potential bottom-tier series on the technical front, and a slight bit of fan service doesn’t help make up for that. The earlier parts of the episode also consist of just systematically checking off necessary elements and pratfalls for a romcom. Maybe this will amount to something, but it’s not looking promising so far.

I’ll Become a Villainess Who Goes Down in History

Streams: Crunchyroll on Tuesdays

Rating: 2.5 (of 5)

The “reborn as an otome game villainess” subcategory of isekai has only been around for a few years but already feels like it has grown stale. This one aims to shake things up by offering an unusual twist: the reincarnate is enthusiastic about being the villainess rather than trying to avoid it. She hates “goody-goody” characters and relishes a chance to make an epic name for herself in infamy, so she immediately starts a long-term plan towards that end after awakening to her past memories at age 7. However, the catch to that plan is already starting to be evident by the end of the first episode: she’s already unwittingly catching the attention of the heroine’s potential suitors (especially the dashing young prince!) and has even made a positive impression on the king for her offer of an economic plan she intends to be regarded as exploitative, but which is sound enough that the king will probably do it.

I tend to like the gimmick of characters who deliberately try to be evil only to have it backfire in a positive way, and that might be enough in this case to counterbalance how uninteresting the rest of the set-up is; even the bit about the special roses is just the standard gimmick to justify the heroine and prince coming together. While the visuals and animation aren’t bad enough to be detriments, neither are they strong enough to be selling points, and the spark that the more successful villainess series of the last couple of years have had isn’t evident. The first episode is just decent enough to merit watching a second, so we’ll see how this one plays out.

Uzumaki

Airs/Streams: Adult Swim on Saturdays

Rating: 4 (of 5). . . if you can handle it

The first episode of this four-episode adaptation of Juji Ito’s horror classic may be the most profoundly disturbing animation I’ve seen in quite some time. It’s also definitely one of the most unique, being done all in a very sharp black-and-white style which gives the inescapable impression of being a manga come to life. Honestly, though, it probably wouldn’t have been as effective done in color, as the sharp black vs. white color contrasts are a critical stylistc point here. It also helps the lavish animation effort by Studio I.G. stand out even more. This is easily one of the best-animated series of the year to date.

The story doesn’t actually amount to much. Kirie’s boyfriend Shuichi is pushing her hard to abandon their small town together because everything is getting too weird. . . too spiral-dominated. The two watch with horror as friends and family members gradually succumb to the spirals, whether it’s a spiral twisting in a teenage girl’s forehead or a middle-aged man literally turning himself into a spiral. It would all be rather ridiculous if it wasn’t also an eye-popping exercise in body horror and driven by a creepy as hell musical score courtesy of indie rock collaborator Colin Stetson. The one knock against it so far is that it feels more like a collection of vignettes strung together than a true narrative, but it’s hard to deny a series that’s been done this well. Whether or not I’ll watch more of it is an entirely different story.

The Most Notorious “Talker” Runs the World’s Greatest Clan

Streams: Crunchyroll on Mondays

Rating: 2.5 (of 5)

In my long time playing RPGs, I have occasionally run into players even in TTRPGs who don’t respect anything but high DPS (damage per second for non-gamers). That attitude seems to prevail in the setting of this light novel adaptation, as the Talker support class is regarded as the weakest because of its low combat strength, and never mind that its abilities can enable a party to perform above their rank. Protagonist Noel, who seeks to follow in his notorious grandfather’s footsteps to become one of the greatest Seekers (read: adventurers), certainly has a chip on his should over being blessed with Talker-oriented abilities, and no shortage of ambition: he’s eager to press his starter group to form a clan, which would allow them to be main contractors, rather than subcontractors, and thus earn more from their jobs. The problem is that not all of his part members are equally ambitious.

Non-isekai fantasy settings which still use RPG-like mechanics are practically the norm in anime and associated media these days, and “someone who seems weak but really isn’t” is a more common theme now than it ever has been. This series uses both, but at least mixes in some twists. Noel is more nakedly ambitious and calculating than the norm for protagonists in this situation, and that’s somewhat refreshing, as is the angle of applying business principles and endorsements to adventuring. The series isn’t subtle on the symbolism it employs, either, or shy about using heavy musical themes for dramatic moments. However, it does nothing visually impressive beyond the massive axe heads wielded by two different characters and has yet to show anything on the storytelling or characterization fronts that’s boldly different. I’ll probably give it another episode or two to prove itself, but so far it looks like one of the season’s mid-range offerings at best.

Let This Grieving Soul Retire!

Streams: Crunchyroll on Tuesdays?

Rating: 3 (of 5)

Note: Though this episode debuted on Sunday 10/29, Tuesday seems to be its regularly-scheduled day.

In this light novel adaptation, Krai and his five childhood friends decide as children to become the greatest treasure hunters in the world, and they eventually go on to do exactly that, forming the renowned party Grieving Souls. The problem is that Krai realizes early on that he’s not insanely talented like the rest of them are (or at least he doesn’t see himself as such), but his attempt to retire from the group results in him being elected its leader instead. Years later, he’s still looking for a way out and trying to get by through pawning jobs he clearly can’t handle himself off on subordinates.

I get the sense that this is a case where Krai has talents he doesn’t recognize in himself, such as having the organizational skills that his powerful friends lack, so he’s actually an indispensable part of the team even if he’s not that capable on an actual adventure. Whether it’s that or him just being grossly overestimated by everyone (a la Masayuki in That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime), the first episode displays a promising level of spirit and humor, and I got a good chuckle out of the double-meaning implicit in the title. Technical merits aren’t special but aren’t bad, either. Overall, this one merits at least another episode or two to prove itself.

As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I’ll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World

Streams: Crunchyroll on Sundays

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)

The first installment of this series was one of the mild surprises of the spring season, so I was expecting good things from its return. But damn, it certainly didn’t piddle around here! With the first half of the episode dominated by a strategic meeting in support of Lord Couran, this looked like it was going to be a typical “set the foundation, for this season’s first plot arc” kind of episode, and indeed, it does fill that role, including giving Licia a key responsibility in the upcoming plan. The far less expected part was Ars’ reunion with Licia leading to them formally committing to marriage, and Ars not only not wussing out on it when Licia suggests it, but going further to propose doing it sooner rather than later. In a purely strategic sense this is an optimal move for Ars, as she is another talented and loyal person to secure in his inner circle, but he genuinely does seem to appreciate her (if not outright love her) as a person, too. That’s quite the jolt of energy to start the series’ second half off with. With generally solid technical and artistic merits still holding up, this one looks to be a promising continuation.

Loner Life in Another World

Streams: HIDIVE on Thursdays?

Rating: 3 (of 5)

Haruka was his high school class’s loner, and generally comfortable with that. Things don’t change when his whole class gets summoned to a fantasy world. He winds up being the last to choose his powers, skills, and equipment and so ended up with an assortment of leftovers, including one which prevents him from forming parties. He’s totally fine with the loner approach, though, and sets about to exploiting his hodgepodge of skills to build a life for himself in the new world.

This light novel adaptation has absolutely nothing on paper which suggests that it will amount to anything, including originality; we’ve seen this “protagonist triumphs with seemingly trash skills” concept multiple times before, including at least a couple of times last season. The technical merits aren’t better than mid-range, the only thing the protagonist does which is even slightly different than norm is actively try to avoid the summoning circle, and don’t expect any explanation on why the summoning happened; neither the protagonist nor the writing seems to care, in fact. Despite the deck being stack against the series, though, the first episode at least partly works. And that’s because it has flippant attitude aplenty. The first episode is a veritable one-man show, with nobody but Haruka having any meaningful dialogue beyond group chatter, but Haruka (and especially the performance by Shuichiro Umeda) is enough of a character to just carry the series, and the artistry and animation wisely leans into that. So far it’s better than it should be, but we’ll see how that holds up as more characters get involved.

Demon Lord, Retry! R

Streams: Crunchyroll on Saturdays

Rating: 3 (of 5)

The first installment of this series did end with a “To Be Continued” back in September 2019, but even so, the existence of this sequel may be the most surprising of any of the sequels airing this season. It is also the rare case where a sequel actually looks distinctly better than the original, thanks to a new studio and complete turnover in the major production staff roles. Whether this will result in a better series overall remains to be seen, but the start, at least, is promising.

The structure of the episode is also a little odd. At times it in engages in a (significantly upgraded) remake of episode 1 of the original, but that is mixed with backstory scenes of Akira’s time in Japan spent developing Infinity Game, complete with the eyes of certain characters covers with mosaics, certain names bleeped out, and the suggestion that something might have been odd about Infinity Game even before Akira got pulled into his current situation. Essentially, the episode raised a bunch of new questions, and points towards both a more serious and more plot-oriented approach, before going back to where the first season ended at Hakuto’s bath house. Though the silliness of the first season was some fun, this is a promising change. The better artistry is also accompanied by a decidedly stronger fan service lean, but we’ll see if that’s going to remain consistent.

As long as you remember at least the basics of the first season, there probably isn’t any need to go back through more than a summary of the first season. You can also see my full thoughts on the first season here. In general, though, this start leaves me cautiously optimistic.