Disclaimers/notes about me as a reviewer!
- I don't care for fanservice or female harems, but am willing to overlook both for good story/characters. I'm very unlikely to enjoy or positively review series where either or both of those things are the main point of the show.
- I am not fond of highly grim-dark series with a lot of character death, though I try to acknowledge that this one is a me problem and other's mileage may vary.
- I tend to like a lot of things and have what others might consider lower than average standards for enjoyment, so my reviews tend to lean positive!
- I have a *very* high tolerance for the isekai genre, even with the recent over-saturation
Listed in alphabetical order, aside from top pick! Links point to the My Anime List page!
AfterLost
My Personal Rating: 4/10Summary
One day, a city suddenly disappears. Takuya, a professional by-the-contract courier and lone wolf, meets Yuki, the only survivor from the city's extinction. The two rely on a message from Yuki's father, who was heard to be missing, and head toward the disappeared city, Lost. However, unexpected obstacles strike before the pair, with the reality especially shocking for Yuki. Before them are the feelings of those left behind, a mysterious group manipulating in the shadows, and unveiling the hidden conspiracy. Takuya and Yuki, who both were initially strangers, would deepen their bond during the journey and unravel the mystery of the Lost city.
(Source: MAL News)
My Impressions
I really wanted to like this? Interesting premise, great visuals, and Madhouse is a well-established studio. Unfortunately this show just fell flat for me, for a lot of reasons. Probably the most significant of which being the weak plotting and lack of proper explanations -- I could more or less follow what was going on, and it was a mystery story, so I'm not entirely talking about the plot here. Putting aside the intentional mystery elements, this show also chooses not to give you any insight into the characters, which made it hard for me to get invested. For me, characters are often a big part of my enjoyment of any given media property, so this was a significant negative. (Also, [mild spoiler] I am Not a Fan of the seemingly constant minor character death)
Demon Slayer
My Personal Rating: 9/10Summary
Since ancient times, rumors have abounded of man-eating demons lurking in the woods. For young Tanjirou, these rumors will soon to become his harsh reality. Ever since the death of his father, Tanjirou has taken it upon himself to support his family. One tragic day, Tanjirou finds his family slaughtered and the lone survivor, his sister Nezuko, turned into a demon. To his surprise, however, Nezuko still shows signs of human emotion and thought... Thus begins Tanjirou's quest to fight demons and turn his sister human again.
(Source: VIZ media)
My Impressions
This is a bit of a darker one, but there are a lot of things I'm liking so far! Some points I find particularly interesting/compelling include: I like that the sister has been transformed into a bloodthirsty demon, but is managing to retain enough presence of mind to fight against that and help/protect her brother, it hits me straight in the Family Feels! I'm also finding it interesting how the main character is kind, but has to actually work around that as a minor weakness to be overcome in fighting demons. Not that it's bad that he's kind, so much as it's dangerous for him, and something he'll need to work around, which I've found very interesting to observe. The opening sequence also promises some additional interesting characters and possibly gorgeously animated fight scenes, which I'm looking forward to!
Additional Notes from later in the season: This series was comparatively slow in the first few episodes, but it definitely picks up! Also, the fight scenes, while often bloody and a bit tense, get SO COOL. The elemental visuals from the opening credits become a reality! I continue to love how Tanjirou is very much a Compassion Hero. Two new characters, referenced heavily in the opening, finally join the main character at the tail end of the first half of the season, and I love them both because of and in spite of their sheer ridiculousness!
Isekai Quartet
My Personal Rating: 8/10Summary
A mysterious switch appeared one day. Upon pressing it, they were sent to a different alternative world!! There are also characters from other alternative worlds gathered together...!? Four different fantasy worlds collide when their inhabitants are transported into a shared dimension where they must attend school together, resulting in chaotic hijinks!
(source: MAL/unknown, edited)
My Impressions
To Be Clear: You probably need to be familiar with/enjoy at least *one* of the four shows parodied here to enjoy this series of comedic short episodes. But if that applies to you, and you like crossovers and/or cute parodies? The CHECK THIS OUT! I am familiar with all the shows and I love crossovers, so I was very excited for this show, and it did not disappoint!! the characterizations were excellent and it lived up to the entertaining premise, and I'm super looking forward to more!
Fairy Gone
My Personal Rating: 5/10Wasn't bad? I just didn't find it engaging
Summary
The story takes place in a world where fairies possess and dwell in animals, giving them mysterious abilities. By removing the organs of a possessed animal and transplanting them into humans, fairies can be summoned as an alter ego and be used as a weapon. Such individuals who used fairies as war tools were called "Fairy Soldiers." Once the war was over and they completed their roles, the soldiers lost their purpose. Some began working for the government, some joined the mafia, and some even became terrorists, as each chose their own way to live. Nine years have passed since the war. The protagonist Mariya is a new recruit of "Dorothea," an organization which investigates and suppresses fairy-related crimes. This is the story of Fairy Soldiers, fighting for their own justice in a chaotic postwar world.
(Source: MAL News)
My Impressions
There doesn't seem to be anything *wrong* with this show based on the first two episodes, but I personally just couldn't get into this one. There just wasn't enough of a hook for me to get invested enough in the characters or story, so I dropped this after the first couple episodes. Your mileage may vary!
Fruits Basket (2019)
My Personal Rating: 9/10Summary
After a sudden family tragedy changes her life, Tooru Honda is now forced to live in a tent, but little does she know that her temporary home resides on the private property of the esteemed Souma family. When her small home is discovered by the mysterious Soma clan, she suddenly finds herself living with Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure Soma. But she quickly learns their family has a bizarre secret of their own: when hugged by the opposite sex, they turn into the animals of the Zodiac!
(Source: Crunchyroll) (edited)
My Impressions
IT'S SO GOOD!!! IF YOU LOVED THE ORIGINAL (at least, the first half) YOU WILL LOVE THIS AND IF YOU HAVE NO IDEA BUT YOU LIKE SHOUJO AND/OR NICE PURE THINGS YOU WILL LIKE THIS AND I will stop shouting now but the heorine is SO FUCKING PURE and every single character has so much depth?!?! This story is SO GOOD. It will likely be following the Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood example of actually running the full manga plot, as opposed to the original animeseries from 2001, which spiraled off in a weird direction due to unfinished manga. This is a cute and pure shoujo anime with a large ensemble cast of enjoyable characters, and I am thoroughly enjoying it!
Joshi Kausei
My Personal Rating: 3/10interesting concept, but oh boy it was not for me
Summary
Who needs dialog when you're this cute? The beautiful (but unlucky) Momoko, the cool, collected Shibumi, and the refreshingly innocent Mayumi star in a "silent manga." No speeches, no dialog! Just pictures, sound effects, and three high school girls living their daily lives.
(Source: Crunchyroll)
My Impressions
Hooo boy. I wanted to like this! Interesting premise, short slice of life stories with no dialog! But, the first episode was so uncomfortably fanservice-centric that it unfortunately turned me off the series. YMMV, especially if you like fanservicey things? It's always possible this got less bad as the show went on, but I was watching enough other things that this wasn't worth the time investment for me to find out.
Midnight Occult Civil Servants
My Personal Rating: 7/10Summary
Miyako Arata is newly assigned to the Shinjuku Ward Office's Nighttime Regional Relations Department. Each of Tokyo's 23 wards has one such department, established to mitigate paranormal and occult-related events. Arata's special skill is the understanding of non-human speech, and the story begins with him encountering a youkai at Shinjuku Gyoen park who refers to him as the legendary Heian-era exorcist, Abe no Seimei.
(Source: MU)
My Impressions
Teeechnically not especially well written, but very enjoyable?! Ordinary(?) guy finds out that he has the unique ability to talk to spirits, after ending up in a government position that's dedicated to handling troubles involving supernatural creatures from the significant crisis to the mundane every day make-sure-they-aren't-causing-trouble kinda deal. Oh and also he's the descendant (and possibly reincarnation?) of a person who an Aztec trickster/disaster god got really attached to, and said trickster god is basically just hanging around making trouble? So, as a person who specifically enjoys most of the above tropes and is also enjoying how they're being combined in this show, I can at least say I am having a good time!
Additional/later series notes: Having now watched the entire series, I can attest that I enjoyed the whole thing! I really liked the message of "Okay maybe talking it out won't always work but damn it that's no reason not to try!"
Sarazanmai
My Personal Rating: 9/10Summary
After accidentally breaking a statue of a kappa that serves as the guardian god of Asakusa, middle school students Kazuki, Toi, and Enta are transformed into kappas by Keppi, the prince of the Kappa Kingdom.
(source: google)
My Impressions
The major themes of this series include emotional connections, love, desire, (love vs. desire), queerness, and... butt stuff, kinda? Artistically rendered, at least. In general, the visuals are masterfully artistic. I believe the director is the same person who handled Utena and Penguindrum, so there's lots of surrealism intertwined with serious and sometimes dark emotional themes.
Additional/later series notes: I really, really loved this show and ultimately found it very moving.
Senryuu Girl
My Personal Rating: 6/10(fun fluff, but admittedly not much substance)
Summary
Yukishiro Nanako is a cute, cheerful high school girl with one peculiar trait—instead of verbal communication, she writes senryuu (a type of haiku) poems to relay her thoughts. Together with ex-delinquent Busujima Eiji, they are budding freshmen of the school's Literature Club. Even though Nanako doesn't talk, with the power of senryuu, the adorable pair has no problem enjoying their fun school-life through the tune of 5-7-5 syllables.
(Source: MerakiScans)
My Impressions
This short-episode series is a cute and enjoyable piece of slice of life/shoujo fluff. The premise is entertaining, and on a small but important note, I really appreciate that the show normalizes the main character's non-vocal communication. She's never called out or insulted for it, and the people around her accept her just the way she is, and I love the casual non-neurotypical acceptance! That said, I'll admit there's not much depth beyond that. Still, is a thing I enjoyed watching! If you're looking for a bit of light fun, this one might be worth checking out!
Wise Man's Grandchild
My Personal Rating: 6/10(I liked it a lot, but do admit that it wasn't technically that good)
Summary
In the kingdom of Earlshide, Merlin Walford was once regarded as a national hero, hailed for both his power and achievements. Preferring a quiet life, he secludes himself deep in the rural woods, dedicating his time to raising an orphan that he saved. This orphan is Shin, formerly a normal salaryman in modern-day Japan who was reincarnated into Merlin's world while still retaining his past memories. As the years pass, Shin displays unparalleled talent in both magic casting and martial arts, much to Merlin's constant amazement. On his 15th birthday however, it becomes apparent that Shin only developed his combat skills and nothing else, leaving him with blatant social awkwardness, a lack of common sense, and a middling sense of responsibility. As a result, Shin enrolls in the kingdom's Magic Academy to hone his skills and mature among other teenagers. However, living a normal life is impossible, as he is established as a local celebrity almost as soon as he arrives. Kenja no Mago follows Shin Walford's high school life in the capital as he makes new friends, learns about the world, and fights off the various forces of evil surrounding him and his city.
(Source: MAL)
My Impressions
Yet Another Isekai show, of that there is no doubt, and honestly not a particularly unique or quality offering to the genre. That said, I really enjoyed this one!! The fun twist of this one is that he is reborn as a baby and taken in and raised/trained by incredibly famous/powerful people who...fail to mention that they are famous, and fail to instill in the protagonist a proper sense of how insanely OP he is, so the series is mostly about him learning what actual societal standard normal is in this world. It also means that he, by default, is pretty chill and nice and not full of himself (he didn't realize that he could be!), and I do prefer the humble/surprised type protagonist, so I'm finding it really enjoyable! I'm also really loving what looks to be a straight forward romance plot, which is rare in Shounen! There's one specific girl he likes, who definitely likes him back, and it looks possible that there will be a cute courtship and total aversion of both harem and will they won't they tropes common in this sort of series! I also genuinely enjoyed the core plot, as of episode 3, we are introduced to a mystery involving demons and demonized humans that takes up the rest of the series.
Additional/later series notes: I'll admit, this ended with a lot of unresolved threads, but I honestly didn't mind, because despite my enjoyment I can acknowledge the relative lower quality and I feel like this show said everything it really had to say in the 12 episodes it was given.
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