Dance Dance Danseur – Episode 1
It’s a fantastic premiere that mixes dance with commentary on toxic masculinity.
Posts by Vrai Kaiser
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RPG Real Estate – Episode 1
Over the years I’ve gotten accustomed to the incorporation of very soft, cutesified character designs in shows. So RPG Real Estate has come along to catapult me directly back to the 2007 as punishment for my hubris.
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Heroines Run the Show – Episode 1
A shoujo-esque coming-of-age series? Idols with art nouveau aesthetics? And its production has more than a ham sandwich to its name? Is it my birthday?
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The Greatest Demon Lord is Reborn as a Typical Nobody – Episode 1
It’s an overpowered hero fantasy series and I made it all the way to the end without wanting to gouge my eyeballs out of my head. So, you know. It’s fine.
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Tomodachi Game – Episode 1
When it comes to the frequently trashy death game genre I at least respect Tomodachi Game’s attempts to be classy, even if I’m not convinced it has the goods to back it up
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ESTAB LIFE: Great Escape – Episode 1
I have a weakness for high-concept shows that are this blithely earnest and excited about what they’re making (while also being at least a little gay).
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Love All Play – Episode 1
A moment of silence for Love All Play, which has started airing just in time to be The Other Badminton Anime. There’s really nothing wrong with it if you’re a dedicated sports anime fan, but there’s not a lot unique to recommend it to anyone but genre diehards.
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The Executioner and Her Way of Life – Episode 1
A yuri fantasy series that looks like a gem and is well worth going into unspoiled.
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Salaryman’s Club – Episode 1
While Salaryman’s premise is pretty by the books, it absolutely shines in execution
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Requiem of the Rose King – Episode 1
Ah yes, the queer gothic series I’m obsessed with and have a very hard time recommending.
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My Dress-Up Darling – Episode 1
This has the makings of an exceptional rom-com, with a couple of caveats.
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Tokyo 24th Ward – Episode 1
This episode lost and won my trust probably about six times in the course of 48-minutes, and I’m still not sure what to think of it beyond a general “alright, I’m listening.”
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RUMBLE GARANNDOLL – Episode 1
It’s a by-the-numbers mish-mash of heavy-handed homages that also has cute mini-mecha designs and a fair bit of heart. It sits squarely in the subgenre of “rah rah otaku culture” that’s remained a crowd-pleaser ever since Otaku no Video pioneered it in the 80s—people love to see themselves on TV. For mechs this season, you could very much do worse.
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Platinum End – Episode 1
There are two major things that Platinum End has in common with previous Ohba/Obata manga. One, it captures the feeling of railing for the first time at an unjust society in a way that rings powerfully true if you’re in Shonen Jump’s 13-17 target demographic (physically or emotionally) and then gets increasingly shaky with added age and perspective; and two, it hates women just so very much.
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The Fruit of Evolution: Before I Knew It, My Life Had It Made – Episode 1
It’s just….so boring.
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AMAIM Warrior at the Borderline – Episode 1
Put on your earmuffs, because we’re headed square into dogwhistle territory.
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The vampire dies in no time – Episode 1
The vampire dies in no time is no-holds-barred slapstick comedy. It’s a pretty good example of the genre, too, if you’re down for something manic.
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Digimon Ghost Game – Episode 1
If one good thing came out of Adventure 2020, it’s that it inspired Toei to take a chance on this series.
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Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut – Episode 1
It’s the kind of thinly envisioned alternate universe that more or less directly replicates real history while stapling exactly one speculative element on top. But by the end, I was surprised to find it had won me over for at least another episode or two.
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Muteking the Dancing Hero – Episode 1
This is the sort of show people describe as “out there,” one that requires a certain tolerance for wacky hijinks and an appreciation of creators gleefully stacking concepts on top of one another because…well, why not? Have you ever seen a show about rollerblading DJ tokusatsu heroes before? Well, there you are.
