Muv-Luv Alternative – Episode 1
While it’s not spectacular, it’s fair enough fodder for anyone looking for a wartime story against a cosmic enemy in 2021.
Fall 2021 Tag
Results-
-
The World’s Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat – Episode 1
It drips style, but aesthetics alone won’t be able to carry this show. I have a feeling the panty flashes aren’t going anywhere, and I’m inclined to ask how distracting the fanservice will be.
-
PuraOre! ~Pride of Orange~ – Episode 1
It’s the job of a hobby anime’s premiere (and this is listed as “slice-of-life” rather than sports, at least on Funimation) to show the protagonists getting hooked into the hobby in question. To throw the heroines into something new and to show that initial spark of interest, so the audience is inspired to join them week by week on their journey. But this first episode of PuraOre! just doesn’t have the emotional weight to pull this crucial work off.
-
Banished From the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside – Episode 1
A slow life show set in a fantasy world runs a dual risk: being too slow, and being a bad fantasy.
-
takt op.Destiny – Episode 1
A beautiful action series that’s thin on plot and chemistry between the leads.
-
The Fruit of Evolution: Before I Knew It, My Life Had It Made – Episode 1
It’s just….so boring.
-
AMAIM Warrior at the Borderline – Episode 1
Put on your earmuffs, because we’re headed square into dogwhistle territory.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Tesla Note – Episode 1
EX-ARM walked so Tesla Note could fly, and wow, what a brief, ugly flight this premiere is.
-
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.
-
Mieruko-chan – Episode 1
I’d assumed Mieruko-chan would be much more straightforwardly a zany comedy, juxtaposing the terrifying creatures of the beyond against Miko’s disinterest in engaging with them. But the pacing of this entire episode, and each individual apparition, leans way more on the horror aspect of this horror-comedy.
-
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.
-
The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window – Episode 1
BL and yuri fans, I think you all know how we roll the dice when the word “adaptation” comes around. For every given or Bloom into You that marries skilled adaptation with beautiful art direction, there’s an Otherside Picnic or No. 6 that struggles despite quality source material. Tricornered Window’s first episode unfortunately falls squarely into the latter camp, but its premise is solid enough to win out over its stiff production for now.
-
Selection Project – Episode 1
Come for the idols, stay for the idols because Selection Project is wholly a show about idols, and while things don’t completely go to plan for protag Suzune, the premiere had a lot of building blocks that hint at a dynamic series… if it can stick the landing.
-
Waccha PriMagi! – Episode 1
Technically, the general rule at AniFem is that we don’t cover children’s programming, but if we can make an exception for dear ol’ PreCure I figure I may as well shine a spotlight on PriMagi and see what’s going on over there, too. If you’re hungry for more officially-licensed all-ages magical girl content, you might want to join me in the audience.
-
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.
