HELL MODE – Episode 1
The back half flirts with becoming a bright adventure fantasy, but it’s bogged down in tired (albeit mostly harmless) isekai tropes.
Posts by Dee
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Champignon Witch – Episode 1
Despite its unhurried pace and touches of whimsy, Champignon Witch is very much a story about social ostracization and how cultural norms and surface-level assumptions can unfairly relegate people as outsiders.
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I’m Living with an Otaku NEET Kunoichi!? – Episode 1
The majority of this premiere is a pretty aggressively forgettable, medium-horny rom-com. And then the Psycho Lesbian enters the chat.
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A Galaxy Next Door – Episode 1
On paper, A Galaxy Next Door sounds like a cliché rom-com where a magic wife fixes a sad boy’s problems. And it very well could turn into that, but this premiere is a lot more charming—and way more relaxed—than its synopsis would have you believe.
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Raven of the Inner Palace – Episode 1
China-inspired fantasies have seen a resurgence in shoujo/josei fiction as of late, although this is the first one to get a recent adaptation. If this marks the beginning of a new anime trend, then it’s off to a strong start.
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Bee and PuppyCat (2022) – Episode 1
Bee and PuppyCat asks “What would a magical girl series look like if the ‘girl’ was a directionless young adult who needed to pay her bills?” and finds its answer in a deliciously strange premise built around temp work, alien otherworlds, and a grumpy talking (sort of) cat (sort of).
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Good Soil Makes a Good Crop: The Story of Saiunkoku and the myth of meritocracy
Despite its fantastical setting, The Story of Saiunkoku is no traditional fairy tale, and the sexist hurdles Shurei faces to achieve her dream of becoming a civil servant are much closer to unjust reality than escapist fiction. This allows the series to explore systemic oppression, workplace harassment, and the importance of structural support, especially in systems that claim to be merit-based.
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SPY x FAMILY – Episode 1
Spy x Family is a fun romp with a warm heart; endearing, tense, and silly in equal measures. Hopefully the anime can continue to draw out the manga’s charms to create a satisfying adaptation
that will satisfy current and new fans alike. -
Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost – Episode 1
This premiere is repetitive fluff after the first five minutes, which means that instead of taking plot notes I started overthinking the implications of a show about a depressed, overworked woman whose life is given meaning by the sudden appearance of an idealized toddler. Womp womp.
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Deaimon: Recipe for Happiness – Episode 1
I suspect this found-family, food/music hybrid show will fly under the radar, but I hope it doesn’t, because there’s a whole lot to like in this first episode.
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I’m Quitting Heroing – Episode 1
Ping-ponging between “trash boy comedy” and “bitter boy dramedy,” Quitter Hero really doesn’t seem to know what kind of show it wants to be.
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FreakAngels – Episode 1
A diverse but overstuffed cast and slightly stiff production combine to form a Crunchyroll Original that isn’t terrible, but likely won’t turn many heads either.
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SABIKUI BISCO – Episode 1
Okay, post-apocalyptic dystopian action series featuring giant mushrooms and rust plague. You have my attention.
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Sasaki and Miyano – Episode 1
In a thus-far pretty dire winter season, I’m thrilled to say that Sasaki and Miyano’s premiere is a sweetly sincere young adult rom-com with likable characters and basically zero caveats. Isn’t it nice to have an easy add to the watchlist sometimes?
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Daring to Speak its Name: Goodbye, My Rose Garden and the queer historical romance
Set in 1900 England and steeped in references to both the history and literature of the Victorian era, Goodbye, My Rose Garden draws on turn-of-the-century reality and fantasy alike to highlight the intersectional struggles of queer women of the period.
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Lupin the 3rd: Part 6 – Episode 1
Does a bromance await Fiction’s Greatest Detective and Greatest Thief? Is Watson still out there hoping his beau will save him? Is Zenigata going to get, like, supes jealous about this new inspector honing in on his man? Stay tuned to this season’s most stylish fanfic to find out!
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Taisho Otome Fairy Tale – Episode 1
Inside Taisho Otome Fairy Tale there are two rom-com wolves.
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The Heike Story – Episode 1
Weaving the many threads of the classic Japanese epic Heike Monogatari into a compelling, cohesive adaptation will be a challenging task, but this premiere is off to an impressive start.
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86 EIGHTY-SIX – Episode 1
Oh neat, a complex and melancholy anti-war spec-fic series with a messy approach to social commentary and diversity metaphors. And here I was worried that all my reviews were going to be easy this season!
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The World Ends with You: The Animation – Episode 1
This is a stylish adaptation of an equally stylish game, but the narrative will need to slow down its breakneck pacing if it wants to garner an audience outside of the existing TWEWY fanbase.
