BACK ARROW – Episode 1
It’s familiar, like Gurren Lagann meets Escaflowne—but familiar doesn’t have to mean bad.
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Horimiya – Episode 1
A teenage love comedy that’s got a few problematic beats to an otherwise solid premiere.
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Scar on the Praeter – Episode 1
Kai Yamato is trying to make a living for himself and his little brother in the chaotic Tokyo Akatsuki Special Ward.
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The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter – Episode 1
A show that could have been a forgettable isekai, but the dude doesn’t come from Japan for once. He’s still boring and everyone wants to get into his pants.
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Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki – Episode 1
You have the basic foundation for a series about a teenage boy whose misanthropy and pessimism feel all too real in 2021, all things considered. You also have the story of a girl who’s about to change his entire world… which also feels a bit too real in 2021, all things considered. Still, that could hypothetically result in a pretty heartwarming premiere… right?
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WIXOSS DiVA(A)LIVE – Episode 1
WIXOSS DiVA(A)LIVE might look like it has potential, but don’t be fooled: it doesn’t.
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2.43: Seiin High School Boys Volleyball Team – Episode 1
The professional in me wants to talk about how this josei adaptation is a beautifully staged, pensive premiere that elegantly establishes its main characters, their relationships, and individual conflicts. The geek in me just wants me to holler about how unbelievably gay it is like y’all have no idea.
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So I’m a Spider, So What? – Episode 1
So I’m a Spider, So What? is a solid start to a series about one high school girls’ adventures… as an RPG-esque Spider.
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Cells at Work! CODE BLACK – Episode 1
I’ll tip my hat to this first episode: using the overworked cells of a failing body as a vehicle to tell a story about workers being crushed beneath the heel of capitalism is a solid choice.
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Heaven’s Design Team – Episode 1
Poor casting decisions notwithstanding, there’s a lot to like about this imaginative, good-hearted edutainment series about endearing coworkers and buck-wild animal facts.
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LBX Girls – Episode 1
I’m going to go out on a limb and say it probably wouldn’t have taken me six hours to watch this premiere if it hadn’t come out on the same day as an attempted coup, but I also can’t reliably tell you how much of that time was “anxious distracted doomscrolling” and how much was “if they throw any more technobabble into this toy commercial, I will gouge my eardrums out with my headphones.”
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Hortensia SAGA – Episode 1
As a hodge-podge of familiar fantasy tropes, Hortensia Saga will need to distinguish itself with its characters and execution. Fortunately, it’s off to a hopeful start.
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I★CHU – Episode 1
I★CHU kind of has the potential to slap, y’all. It’s not quite there, but… it could be. Maybe. I’m still undecided, even as I write this article. But hey, I’ve got hope… I think.
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Gekidol – Episode 1
I don’t want to be so harsh on this series, but idol fans deserve a better story than this.
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Otherside Picnic – Episode 1
Yuri! And it’s sci-fi! And they’re adults! I KNOW!
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Suppose a Kid from the Last Dungeon Boonies moved to a starter town? – Episode 1
I’ll give Boonies this: when three of the five named female characters end up showing some level of romantic interest in Lloyd in this premiere, at least I get it. He’s a sweet kid, even if he is a narrative black hole.
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Chatty AF 132: 2020 Fall Wrap-up (WITH TRANSCRIPT)
Dee, Chiaki, and Peter look back on the Fall 2020 season!
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VLADLOVE – Episode 1
Once again I am faced with a title that should be extremely relevant to my interests—in this case, a lesbian vampire romance with a pretentious artsy streak—only to trash 90% of my built-in goodwill with fumbled execution.
