And so… A new season is underway. (Yay!) There’s some good premieres, some less so, and then there’s Gundam Mercury for which words are difficult. Hit the jump and let’s run ’em down!
The shows that I’m watching are in bold, shows my wife and I are watching together are in bold italics, strikethrough marks dropped shows and (*) marks shows that are watched but not regularly reviewed.
Beast Tamer
Yuusha Party wo Tsuihousareta Beast Tamer, Saikyoushu no Nekomimi Shoujo to Deau
Yeah, no. Lame and lifeless and the cat girl was kind of off-putting.
Status: Dropped at 1 episode.
SPY x FAMILY: Part II
Episode 1
Between leaping up into the rafters for a better field of view, and that amazing kick that sent the Bad Guy pinballing down the alley… Yor certainly got some awesome moments.
But once again, Anya stole the show – her and Mr Dog, her new partner. He’s still a bit confused and we the viewers are a bit in the dark, but I don’t think there’s any question on that.
Loid? He’s basically all but Sir Not Appearing In This Episode. He was shuffled offstage pretty early on and his end of the story was pretty much just to frame Yor and Anya’s adventures.
In some ways, this episode was every set piece this series has to offer. Meh, who cares. It was, as is usual for Family, fun to watch. That’s all that really matters.
Status: Solid keeper.
My Hero Academia 6
Boku no Hero Academia 6
Episode 1
From Season 2 onwards, MHA established a pattern of the first episode being a recap or something of a filler/OVA type episode before getting on with things.
Not so for season 6.
Instead we got an exposition heavy setup proceeding directly from S5’s end-of-season “cliffhanger”. Towards the end we get a little bit of action with the start of the assault on the Paranormal Liberation Front.
So, not much to say here.
Status: Keeper.
Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! W
Uzaki-chan wa Asobitai! W
Episode 1
A classic example of “more of the same, only the same”. And I’m not 100% comfortable with saying that I want more of the same. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
After all, that’s why we dropped Rent-a-Girlfriend last season.
Status: Tentative Keeper.
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury
Kidou Senshi Gundam: Suisei no Majo
Episode 1
Yes, I’ve heard it called Gundam Utena. No, I’ve never seen Revolutionary Girl Utena and I kinda wish folks would let the comparisons drop. I give and grant such comparisons are part of the language of anime discussion… But it also sets up expectations, and Mercury hasn’t even had time to find it’s own two feet yet.
Suletta is kind of interesting isn’t she? In social situations, she’s very awkward, probably grew up a little isolated. But when she’s in Ariel’s cockpit she’s cool, calm, collected… and ruthless as f*ck. She didn’t even play around with Guel – she disabled and then dissected his mech with a nuclear grade attack. And did so as dispassionately and thoroughly as a hunter or a butcher.
Miorine – was that a heel face turn? Bowing to the inevitable? Or is she so trapped in the system and so weary that despite her rebellion she simply gives in?
Or is she making a choice on her own? To cleave unto what’s probably the first person in her life who doesn’t expect anything from or of her and hasn’t pushed her where they want her to go.
And yeah… Do check out the music in the final moments of the battle. In the moments of Suletta’s victory. That’s heroine music. That’s final battle music. That’s what I’d expect to hear in the climactic moments of an entire series.
A fascinating choice, executed perfectly.
Status: An absolute solid keeper. How is this even a question?
Encouragement of Climb: Next Summit
Yama no Susume: Next Summit
Episode 1
I’m… conflicted. On one hand, “new” YamaSu (even a clip show) is certainly welcome. On the other, the clip show was rather poorly done – leaping about like a rabbit on crack. If I were a newcomer to the series, I’d have little idea about Aoi and less about Hinata, Kokona, and Kaede. And I’d only know Aoi and Hinata’s names. That’s not a real good introduction.
Status: Keeper, mostly because I simply can’t resist and I love this series and that know actual new stuff is coming.
Do It Yourself!!
Episode 1
That was delightfully stupid and I was grinning most of the way through it. Could do without hackneyed the “club is in danger” plot, but whatever. I enjoyed and will be back next week.
And what a perfectly awful pun.
Will be interesting to see how much the main character develops, especially now that she seems to have a purpose and a goal.
Status: Keeper.
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I know I mentioned VAZZROCK in my previews… But I decided to check out the reviews over on ANN. They weren’t impressed and their description didn’t leave me impressed. So I decided to skip it.
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Summer continues to linger… dammit. After the roasting heat of the last two months, I’m ready for Fall. It’s cooling off, but not enough.
These are crazy temperatures, late August early September. Not early/mid October.
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OK, other than Akiba Maid War, that’s pretty much it for us so far. (My wife wants to watch it too, and because of my Thursday night AMQ game we won’t get to see it until tomorrow.) Through Thursday PST (GMT -7), what premieres have you seen and what are your thoughts?
Apprentice Mages Lounge. 
I watched Beast Tamer, but can’t remember much about it. I was sort of fine with it? Maybe.
SpyXFamily was SpyXFamily, which is good. Glad to have the show back. Love the dog already.
Uzaki-chan is also Uzaki-chan. Nothing much to say. Whatever I said about season one probably still applies, though I can’t really remember what I did say.
As for Do it Yourself, loved it. Serufu makes for a great protagonist. But above all I loved the art. How the lines get free-flowing around Serufu, but precise around the DIY segments, for example, wihout feeling like stylebreak anywhere. This is a show that knows what it’s doing, and it’s just fun. I’m perfectly fine with it being silly; actually, I love that silliness. I’m so in.
Vazzrock? I was out after the introduction sequence. It doesn’t get any duller.
This is already a much better season than summer. I haven’t kept track of what’s still to air, for me. Chain Saw Man’s the only thing I can think of, and I’m not sure I’ll like that. I might.
My Master Has no Tail is incredibly charming. The Alchemist anime is fun. The villainess anime is fun. Raven in the Inner Palace has potential, but will at the very least be stylish… And Mob Psycho delivers. Great season.
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re: Spy X Family
Agreed, the dog is a great addition and I’m looking forward to seeing more of him and Anya in action.
Re: Do It Yourself
smacks forehead D’oh, I meant to mention the art. I might just quote you next week.
I’m going to try and pick up the alchemist show next week. This week was just too packed with some IRL stuff.
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