Blue Period – Episode 1
There is a lot of love for the arts in this series and it doesn’t shy away from the difficulties of the creative process either.
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VISUAL PRISON – Episode 1
Embrace the darkness, entities of the night: Visual Prison is all fangs, a few bites, and loads of visual-kei idol boys, all mashed together into a premiere that certainly has appeal, but definitely not in the plot department.
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The Faraway Paladin – Episode 1
This premiere isn’t keen to rush into the heart of the action and show Will being a cool badass holy warrior. It’s content to draw us in slowly, focusing on the relationship between Will and his undead guardians.
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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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SAKUGAN – Episode 1
A father-daughter adventure story off to an incredible start.
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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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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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takt op.Destiny – Episode 1
A beautiful action series that’s thin on plot and chemistry between the leads.
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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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Tesla Note – Episode 1
EX-ARM walked so Tesla Note could fly, and wow, what a brief, ugly flight this premiere is.
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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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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.
