The Premise
A teenager tries to commit suicide and is save by an angel who promises to protect him forever. Sounds generic anime enough (particular 90s and 2000s) but it turns out that in order to convince him not to commit suicide she is offering him fantastic superpowers: wings that can allow him to fly and an arrow that makes people fall in love with him. He accepts (though rightly thinks there's something pretty sketchy about making people fall in love) and the angel reveals to him that his abusive guardians are responsible for his parent's and brother's murder. He verifies the truth but things soon go sideways. Still, he decides he wants to live and learn to be happy... but learns he might be in competition with 12 other people with similar powers.
It Gud?
It... promising. Going in, you should know this is from the same creative team as Death Note and in some ways it shows, even though this feels like an intended counterpoint. Instead of a born amoral teen is a traumatized teen who immediately starts questioning the morals of one of his two super-powers (though he does end up using it twice). Instead of being teamed up with a monster who seems as happy to watch our hero fail as succeed is an angel who is looking out for him... but seems completely divorced from human morals, cheerily suggesting murder and mind control to solve his problems with no sense of intended malice.
Now, I get why people either turned on or never liked Death Note. It's not that there weren't edgelord show's before but I feel like it inspired a lot of smug, self-satisfied antihero series (I mean both the hero AND the series itself has these qualities) that I could do without. It also made the mistake of outstaying it's welcome (I'm more forgiving of the latter half than most but ending earlier probably would have been better). But I really did like Death Note for when it had genuinely clever twists and plots, even if it's overly complicated inner-monologues were ripe for parody. It was a fun ride,
Platinum End doesn't seem as clever, unfortunately. It's nice that the main character seems less of a dick (for now, at any rate) but it really does seem to want to shock and while it doesn't touch a lot of the more abysmal edgelord series in that regard, its not all entirely successful and so far the series just isn't presenting itself as having cool twists. But it also does introduce an instant kill attack, meaning hopefully there will be complex plans and such. I also like that the angel is pretty quick to reveal herself as a questionable guide, with conventional human morality completely alien to her, even is she knows the rules of human society. I could do with fewer shots of her butt. We get a lot of those. It was well animated and moved briskly and is so far an easy watch. I do hope it meets its potential and I do fear that it will rely too much on the love-based mind control. I'm not opposed to the corruption of the lead character but I do hope for something with more nuance than Light Yagami in showing how power can corrupt. So I'll stick with this one an pray for it to keep my interest.
Takt Op.Destiny
The Premise
A Quiet Place as an adventure series with super powers and music. Basically, it's a future were people can't play music because monsters.
It Gud?
Certainly better than I expected. Usually when I give Based on a Mobile Game a shot, well, it's pretty easy to say it's at best going to not be worst. Takt is certainly better than it's title. And the animation is actually quite pretty, even if the character design says "based on a mobile game". But it does have actual style in some scenes, the animation looks like time and money was spent on it compared to most cash grab series and it was very easy to watch. Yes, it has a lot of mythos but it never bogs the series down with it, which a lot of game-based anime seem to LOVE to do, like we are going to be really into long scenes of exposition and game mechanics.
It's not without it's weaknesses. The characters are a bit fun in their quirkiness but even their quirkiness, though realized well enough, isn't unique. It's probably going to be a monster of the week show for a while and while there's nothing wrong with that, it might risk losing interest. But it breezes by quickly enough and I was never bored at this stage and found the fights pretty compelling.
The strongest element are the little things. Probably my favourite element is a background detail, a piano that has written on it "play me again some day". I really like that because I think it spells out the world and the stakes. Music isn't "necessary" but it is important to us for our emotional well-being and the characters yearn for the day when music can be a part of their lives again. It's an element I really like and though I expect the series to stay at a place of mid-tier watchable, more little touches like that is going to go a long way to getting me invested.
Mieruko-Chan
The Premise
Mieruko is a normal teen girl who one day starts seeing horrifying ghosts. Her only defense... pretend she doesn't see them so that they will eventually leave her alone.
It Gud?
I read the manga half a year ago and while I had issues, I really liked the "game" of the series; a cutely-drawn girl tries desperately to ignore upsettingly-drawn ghosts. It's farce with genuine comedy and genuine horror as she reaches her mental limits trying to ignore monsters while carrying on conversations with friends and just living her life. I really like this premise and I feel like it often pulls it off well. And yet, I wasn't enamoured with this series.
The problem isn't the adaptation. I was afraid it would tone down the upsetting monster designs which I feel are very much key but mostly the translation to screen goes well. I do have mixed feelings about the length as the comics are often rather short and read quick while this is a half-hour show. But I feel like it tries to ratchet up the tension and it does start with a slow burn I don't mind for introducing the character (I believe the first scene of the source material happens at the midpoint of the anime, with her almost immediately seeing a ghost). I feel like it has proper discordant sound and subtly that works in it's favour.
But for whatever reason, it just didn't grab me in motion. Part of this simply because, well, while I liked the game, I vaguely remember not liking everything about it, more focused on the fun of the "game" element. I didn't mind it but I wasn't laughing all the time or anything. More than that is one thing I do remember not liking from the source material: boy is this a male-gaze heavy show. Like, it's way too thirsty for it's own good. It might be the element that tips me into not being to interested in reading it. So I'm going to say it's not without merit, but it is ogling a lot. Like, too much. More than the show were we saw a lot of angel ass. I was on the fence but I won't stick with this one.
The World's Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat
The Premise:
I mean... there's nothing left for me to say.
It Gud?
So when the show starts, we have 14 year olds with large breasts in revealing dresses and in chains while old men buy them in an auction. So you know what kind of show we are going for. Now, to be fair, most of this is generic but quite watchable. It is about an old assassin doing one last job and telling his sidekick she isn't ready, only for him to be betrayed by the very organization who created him. It's nothing unique but I do like the grumpy old assassin archetype. Unfortunately, he's going to become what appears to be a smug kid who is good at everything because 70% of the genre now is smug guy and 95% is about them being super amazing at a particular thing with that making them the most amazing character ever and having only the most superficial "flaws" for the story to dig into. And look, I don't need all my characters to have "flaws", it's an overused complaint about Superman and it's dumb to me because "yeah, but he is still brave because is is not afraid to be vulnerable and compassionate even when it is hard". But with a lot of the characters in these series being a certain level of author-insert, it gets pretty tiring. My feel is the show is going to be far less watchable going forward, especially with the lead surrounded by busty teens and also he is a teen now. Not a bad first episode but it was also kind enough to present it's red flags.
The Faraway Paladin
The Premise
Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book but isekai for no reason.
It Gud?
Hmm... maybe. It's definitely not bad at all. But the first episode is a lot of slow tone setting, which based on the intro looks like it will change over time. Like, it looks like it will go from high fantasy slice of life to a genuine adventure. If it is to stay were it is, it is a nice enough watch but I don't think I would have any desire to keep going. I like the idea of a hero raised by sweethearted undead (which is also the origin story of Hyunkel, the awkwardly named character from Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai) but there's strongly compelling yet to me. I like the characters well enough but they don't grab me in any strong way, sadly. Still, if they all get more of an adventure context, I could see it being more compelling. I like slice of life well enough but for whatever reason, in that gear, this premise holds my interest in the most tenuous way.
The show's biggest sin is making it an isekai. Not that I hate all isekai, though I have strong feelings about the fact that way too many are about people whose personal problems are solved with their own death and magically being whisked away to be a super-hero, implying that if you are having trouble with your life, death is the answer. It's... weird. But beyond that, it seems to have zero impact on the actual story. Why can't he just be a foundling with talent. I feel like the author isn't that invested either and this was an editorial mandate to try to connect to a popular and very subgenre. It really didn't need it and that element makes me feel like it's shy about trying to be unique and doesn't have faith in the real core of it's premise, a coming of age tale.
And as a coming of age tale... I feel like it is too early to tell. I want to give this one more of a chance to get its cards on the table and show what kind of show it is. Is it an adventure show? Will it remain something closer to slice of life with a journey element? Will is be a series of villains or an episodic town to town tale of personal discovery. I'll give this one a chance but if my interest level remains the same in the next one, I will probably drop it.
Banished from the Hero's Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside
The Premise?
No, it's not an isekai,
technically but also it is in it's heart. Basically, a high fantasy side character is asked to sideline himself for the real hero, his sister. He resigns and decides to live a quiet life in the countryside, where he decides to open an apothecary.
It Gud?
It's not bad but I'm not particularly interested in going forward. If you want a modestly animate slice of life series in a high fantasy world, it's got what you need. There's no reincarnation but there is a protagonist who is amazing but underappreciated by everyone (JUST LIKE ME THE AUTHOR AND YOU THE READER!) so basically same ballpark. It's a pleasant enough little series in a similar tone to say, The Saint's Power is Omnipotent, save there's less romance with a very bland dude and more implications of "they'll miss me when I'm gone". And even that last thing makes it sound worse than it actually is in practice. Granted, the OP wants us to be very clear that the protagonist's new friend has breasts but apart from that, there's nothing too bothersome about this one. I'm just not all that interested in continuing.
Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut
The Premise:
In an alternate history Earth (mostly place names and crosses for some reason), vampires exist... and are necessary for the space race. Desperate to get the first man in space before the west without sacrificing a "hero" cosmonaut, they intend to test things on a vampire lady first, and a man who wants to be a cosmonaut is charged with guarding her.
It Gud?
It surprisingly dull, so far. Things really haven't gotten started so I'm willing to give it one more episode but the fact is this very wild premise results in a very talky show and I'm not that interested in the characters. Once the table setting is done, it could pick up and there's a fun visual in the opening credits of a rocket shooting out a satellite shooting out a coffin shooting out the main character. But I just don't have any feel for the characters and their growing relationship.
The Vampire Dies in No Time
The Premise:
Draluc is considered to be the most immortal vampire and that's... sort of true. In fact, he's remarkably easy to kill but he constantly resurrects after being killed by open doors, rich food or even being mildly surprised. He ends up meeting Ronaldo, a vampire hunter who feels that he needs to spend more time self-promoting than doing his actual vampire hunting, since that's what pays the bills. After an altercation leave Draluc without a mansion, he invites himself into Ronaldo's business, using it as a place to stay.
It Gud?
It is very much a gag manga and mostly it works. The humour is sort of a fun, traditional thing but it is funny for the most part. In this respect, it is reminding me of Sleepy Princess and while I don't like it quite as much, I could see it being as strong if it gets into a stronger rhythm and endears us to these goofballs a bit more. But if not, it's still a solid and competent little piece of humour and I also need to say so far it has the OP I like the most.
Watch Kyuuketsuki Sugu Shinu OP Version 1: DIES IN NO TIME by Jun Fukuyama on AnimeThemes.
staging.animethemes.moe
I'll also say that I like that there's an armadillo sidekick, which I'm taking as a fun reference to this baffling moment in the classic Dracula movie.
Visual Prison
The Premise:
Remember Hypnosis Mic? No? But... but I wrote an entire thread about it.
......
......
OK, well that was about technologically enhanced rap battles across the greater Tokyo metropolis. This is the same thing but it's vampires having Visual Kei battles across Tokyo.
It Gud?
Look, Hypnosis Mic was so ridiculous, I had to see all of it. And Visual Prison was kind of the same. There's almost no time for the show to actually give the plot. It's just "guy listens to his favourite visual kei band while on a walk, sees an impromptu visual kei performance, turns out it's vampires that look like angels with microphone swords who turn the audience into... little balls of light? And I don't know if that's a literal thing or a metaphor. And then another band of vampire shows up and sings their song with mannequins (the mannequin song is better). Then another vampire shows up and rescues the main character, we find out he's a dhampir and part of some contest with a nebulous prize and he's going to have to start a band.
I mean, if you like the genre of visual kei, a sort of pop opera fusion, then this is for you.
Watch Visual Prison OP Version 1: Zankoku Shangri-La by O★Z on AnimeThemes.
staging.animethemes.moe
This show is every bit as ridiculous as Hypnosis Mic, a stupid show I liked to watch. It takes its premise seriously, it's better animated and it's pretty easy to watch despite it being full of the kind of tortured vampire posturing I find kind of dull. I think it's a better Hypnosis Mic and it's weird confusing premise is as laughably goofy. And yet, I have no desire to watch more. Oh, I liked watching it well enough but for whatever reason, I was like "OK, that was fun. I think that's all I need." It's not the show's fault. I just had my fill.
BTW, here are the other songs, if you want 'em.
Taisho Otome Fairy Tale
The Premise:
In the Taisho era, a car accident costs a young man the use of his dominant hand and the use of his mom (due to her being dead). Disowned by his family, he now lives in a remote house by himself. A woman appears revealing that she's going to be his fiancée and soon the man who declared himself a pessimist starts to open up to this new person in his life.
It Gud?
It OK for now. It is a bit questionable to have a romance about a girl sold to a guy to pay her families' debts (and a three year age difference, which is kind of a lot in the teenage years) but if you can compartmentalize the values of the era (and whether or not they are being promoted by the creator), it is a cute little show. Oh, it's pretty well-trodden ground with a girl who refuses to be down even with her had life situation is a well-worn female anime protagonist. But as a whole, it's a sweet little comfort food of a show and I don't mind sticking with it.
