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Thursday, October 7, 2021

2021 Fall Anime First Impressions: Part 1

Tesla Note:  Full Cg, not even anime.  On top of that the characters are pointlessly antagonistic and everything is over-animated, people are restlessly moving back and forth like mindless zombies.  Fail.

Kyoukai Senki:  This feels a lot like a Gundam series, but less serious and more fun.  I have zero complaints so far.  It is a little depressing though, this guy supposedly lives in an authoritarian police state but he still has more freedoms than the average Australian.  Even dystopias are escapist fantasies at this point.  Pass.

Shinka no Mi:  True escapist fantasy here.  A total loser goes to an isekai where he gets some lucky items that massively upgrade his life situation.  There are some problems along the way but all that does is add to the humor.  Cute girls and video game references, what's not to like?  Pass.

Blue Period:  A guy who found nothing enjoyable in life so stuck to drinking and smoking saw an exquisite painting and decided he'd enjoy doing art.  It turns out he was talented at it on his first try so now he aspires for art school at Tokyo University and a life of nothing but art.  It's nice when unhappy people become happy, but it does feel a little too easy.  Most people would love to do art but suck at it, and those who succeed aren't really those who are good at art, but simply those whom art critics elevate to success via their arbitrary whims.  In fact the whole thing is fixed and some artists can sell blank canvasses for millions while others can draw fantastic images and get nothing for it.  I have no respect for 'art' because it's all subjective and thus entirely corrupt.  Men should fight on the battlefield of sports where objective rules and referees actually do grant the better side victory.  There excellence can truly thrive.  Pass.

Takt op.destiny:  This series has great art and animation and an interesting plot and setting.  It started off with Beethoven's 5th symphony.  My only complaint is the characters don't get along with each other, and a lot of time is wasted on useless squabbling.  People may not like everything about each other, but it's useless to complain when they aren't going to change.  You just have to put up with minor grievances and get along quietly, or break up entirely and go your separate ways.  Nagging people nonstop is not an option.  Pass.

Pride of Orange:  After I saw women's horse racing followed by dance concerts, I can't deny the appeal of women's ice hockey followed by dance concerts.  Bring on the surreal!  Pass.

Sekai Saikou no Ansatsusha:  This story has a lot of potential.  Panty flashes combined with mass murder of bad guys, it really has everything a boy could want in life.  Pass.

Shin no Nakama Janai:  This story has a dubious setup, a guy left the hero's party because he was too weak, but that still makes him the strongest man in a remote village, so what is he up to there?  The answer I guess is he's doing fine and becoming a local celebrity.  There's nothing exactly offensive about the tale but nothing gripping either.  It's fine for a first ep.  Pass.

Muv-Luv Alternative:  This story is part of the overarching franchise that includes Schwarzesmarken, so I've always had high hopes for it.  If it turns out to be great it will simply fuse with the already-ranked Schwarzesmarken to attain even greater glory.  The first episode was certainly great, but it all depends on the execution from here.  Can the Beta menace really be defeated in 12 episodes?  Can an entire visual novel really be covered in 12 episodes?  Pass.

Sakugan:  Made in Abyss was an original concept consisting of people who got along.  Sakugan is a cheap ripoff consisting of people who don't get along.  Fail.

Komi-san Can't Communicate:  She just stands still and stares.  Over and over again.  Nothing ever happens because we're waiting for someone to say something who never says anything.  It's like watching paint dry.  Fail.

Platinum End:  This is from the authors of Bakuman and Death Note.  It has a great budget.  You'd think it would be a big deal, but the story has already made several missteps.  Why on Earth wouldn't you kill the uncle who killed your entire family and then abused you to the point of attempting suicide when you had the chance?  The means of death is untraceable so it couldn't possibly get you in trouble with the law.  What a useless coward.  I read the manga for this for quite a while and eventually gave up because it was boring, but anime is more entertaining than manga.  It has voice acting, color, animation and music.  The anime could still be decent if not great.  Pass.

This is only the beginning of the fall anime season.  There are still plenty more shows to debut and review.  But we're off to a surprisingly good start with a high pass/fail rate already.

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