All Articles
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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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Caligula – Episode 1
Lord, save me from stories about singular male geniuses.
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Cute High Earth Defense Club HAPPY KISS! – Episode 1
The creative team behind Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE is trying to turn their magical boy show into a bonafide franchise by launching this second series, HAPPY KISS. With a brand-new cast and Michiko Yokote no longer working as series composer, can Cute High rekindle the flame of clever stupidity that made LOVE so much fun?
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PERSONA5 the Animation – Episode 1
We did it, everyone. We did it! Persona5 the Animation looks absolutely incredible, while also remaining faithful to the source material.
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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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Libra of Nil Admirari – Episode 1
Libra of Nil Admirari is built atop a fascinating premise and stars a female protagonist trying to find her own path. That’s a solid recipe for a good series—the question is if Libra can effectively cook it.
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Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online – Episode 1
This show might be kind of cool! But I have no idea yet, because the first episode has nothing to do with the overall plot.
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Comic Girls – Episode 1
There are two kinds of “cute girls doing cute things” shows. Some are built on archetypes that bear little resemblance to how real girls act and think. Others portray more authentic relationships and emotions, with care to make them relatable and interesting. Comic Girls and its heroine Kaoruko fall somewhere in the middle, with moments of relatability mixed in with trope-driven comedy.
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MAJOR 2nd – Episode 1
The sports anime deluge continues! But where MEGALOBOX and Gurazeni were geared towards an older audience (albeit in very different ways), Major 2nd is targeted towards a younger crowd, with all the marks of a classic shounen—for better and for worse.
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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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HINAMATSURI – Episode 1
Cute without being precious, somber without being grimdark, and refusing to take itself too seriously, Hinamatsuri is thus far a surprisingly fun take on an old (and frequently unpleasant) premise.
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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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Gurazeni: Money Pitch – Episode 1
Have you ever wanted to watch a sports story about financial anxieties and retirement plans? Then have I got a series for you!
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MEGALOBOX – Episode 1
Do not stop me if you’ve heard this one before.
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Tada Never Falls in Love – Episode 1
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with telling a familiar story if you tell it well, and so far TadaKoi is telling it very well.
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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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Real Girl – Episode 1
Real Girl has… issues. A lot of them. So much so that it’s hard to figure out exactly where to start.
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[Links] 28 March – 3 April 2018: Mari Okada’s Biography, New Anime Studios, and Recommendations
This week: Mari Okada’s biography, new anime studios, and feminist recommendations.
