Angels of Death – Episode 1
This is it, folks, the comedy of the season. It somehow escaped from 2005 and is here to charm us with its complete lack of restraint and scene kid aesthetic.
Posts by Vrai Kaiser
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Chio’s School Road – Episode 1
The good and bad thing about short-form comedy like this is that on the one hand, what you see is a pretty good indicator all the way through; on the other hand, if you’re not hooked by the premiere, sticking around for three episodes probably isn’t going to yield different results. As far as Chio’s School Road goes, I left charmed enough to overlook the series’ small but persistent irritations.
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How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord – Episode 1
You know those beautiful multi-tiered cakes that have been carefully constructed, with each layer standing on the support of the one beneath it until it reaches the height of a small child? This is like that, except the cake is made of shit and the binding is misogyny. Let me take you on a guided tour, because this is why I get paid the Nerd Buckz.
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Mr. TONEGAWA Middle Management Blues – Episode 1
Are you a middle-aged manager working in an office job? Then this anime might have something relatable to offer you. The rest of us are kind of out in the cold, though.
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ISLAND – Episode 1
There are definitely good anime based on dating sims. We’ve even had the good fortune to review a few of them here on AniFem. So it feels cruel to knock Island simply for originally being a Visual Novel—let us say instead that this premiere comes off as a very lazily adapted, and go from there.
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FLCL Progressive – Episode 1
Few series have been less subtle about their metaphors vis a vis adolescent sexuality and the confusing terror thereof. We’ll have to wait and see if the subtitle “Progressive” actually means anything in the end.
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The People’s Hero (Some People Not Included): The exclusion of queer viewers in LUPIN THE 3rd PART 5
LUPIN THE 3rd PART 5 wants to explore Lupin as a folk hero of sorts. Unfortunately, it has very specific ideas about the audience to whom Lupin is a hero, and it doesn’t seem to include queer people.
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Doreiku the Animation – Episode 1
Mmmmm, you can just feel the shame wafting off this one.
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Butlers x Battlers – Episode 1
It’s been a few seasons since I laid eyes on something that felt this perfunctory and soulless.
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Last Period: the journey to the end of despair – Episode 1
So. Have any of you been missing Slayers?
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Golden Kamuy – Episode 1
Golden Kamuy has been the darling of certain anime-and-manga circles for a while, and this adaptation might be one of the most hotly anticipated premieres of the season. Given that, I feel a bit redundant as I nod my head and say, “Yup, it’s real good.”
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Cutie Honey Universe – Episode 1
Cutie Honey is a huge franchise with live-action films, both shounen and shoujo anime adaptations, and a recent OVA directed by Hideaki Anno. It’s one of those classics I’ve always wanted to check out… and I don’t think this was the way to do it.
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Devils’ Line – Episode 1
It’s always disappointing to see potential go to waste. There are a few smart ideas in this premiere and some primo unintentional comedy, but it manages to shoot itself in the foot right before the credits roll. Which is a shame, because the central twist of the episode had me hooked at first.
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Magical Girl Site – Episode 1
About a quarter of the way through this premiere the frail, put-upon protagonist stumbles upon a cute stray cat, which is her only friend. “I wonder how long it’ll be til that cat dies,” I thought idly, because that’s the kind of show this is.
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MEGALOBOX – Episode 1
Do not stop me if you’ve heard this one before.
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Dances with the Dragons – Episode 1
Dances with the Dragons is a high-concept fantasy anime with an element of political intrigue, which means about half of this first episode is basically impenetrable. That said, I’m interested in what looks like the core behind the initial nonsense.
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LUPIN THE 3rd PART 5 – Episode 1
Here’s the problem with being a longtime fan of something: you start to notice when things are getting phoned in.
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Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These – Episode 1
As the latest installment in a franchise that’s been a juggernaut since the 1980s, the new LOGH anime has big shoes to fill. As for how the premiere looks on its own, your opinion is likely to be determined by your patience for dialogue.
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Fist of the Blue Sky: Regenesis – Episode 1
What I know about Fist of the North Star after watching this premiere is that I feel the intense solidarity of knowing an old franchise you love has gotten an incredibly garbage update.
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Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Episodes 1-2
Any anime can have an outlandish concept that sounds ridiculous on its face, but it takes work to really sell those ideas beyond a single punchline. It’s not clear if Pretty Derby will get there or sink into being a plain old “cute girls do the sports” anime, but it’s certainly got style.
