Spring Cleaning the Spring Anime Season Part 2

May 28, 2023May 28, 2023 camseyeview Editorials, Lists A Galaxy Next Door, Aka Akasaka, animation, anime, Aoi Akashiro, Asahi Productions, Aya Satsuki, Chiaki Kon, Crunchyroll, Daisuke Hiramaki, Doga Kobo, EMT Square, Gido Amagakure, Gigaemon Ichikawa, HiDive, Hijiri Sanpei, Hiroaki Akagi, Hiroaki Takagi, I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled, JC Staff, Jin Tanaka, Jukki Hanada, Jun Hatori, Junichi Yamamoto, KamiKatsu Working for a God in a Godless World, Keiya Sato, Konoe, Loving Yamada at Lv999, Mashiro, Miku, Milcha, Millepensee, Miman, Mitsuru Kido, Mitsutaka Hirota, Mitsutaka Noshitani, Morio Asaka, My One-Hit Kill Sister, My One-Hiy Kill Sister, Naoki Hayashi, Natsuko Takahashi, Norio Sakurai, Noriyuki Nakamura, Oshi no Ko, Rokudo's Bad Girls, Ryuichi Kimura, Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts, Satelight, Seishi Minakami, Shin Itagaki, Shin-Ei Animation, Shingo Tanabe, Spring 2023 Anime Season, Studio Gekko, Studio Lings, Studio Madhouse, Studio Palette, Studio Passione, SynergySP, Takahiro Majima, The Aristocrat's Otherworldly Adventure, The Dangers in My Heart, The Reason Why Raelina Ended up at the Duke's Mansion, Too Cute Crisis, Typhoon Graphics, Yasuhiro Nakanishi, Yohei Kashii, Yu Tomofuji, Yuichiro Momose, Yuji Nakamura, Yuki Inaba, Yuri is My Job

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Here we are with Part 2, and while the first part of this overall season was stuffed to the gills with good shows, here we have some other great shows, but this was definitely the second half of the season where we ran into some true garbage anime. Some of these could have been saved by better execution of their plots and bad source material, but more times than not, it’s a bad adaptation. Let’s dive right into the spring season and let’s finish it!

Fantasy/Isekai

I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled (Crunchyroll)

CW: harassment, bullying, fatphobic

Do you mean to tell me the same author behind Fruit of Evolution has another terrible isekai that is also problematic, hateful, and mediocre? Color me surprised that this author is pretty terrible or at the very least, has a big issue with fat people. As I not so subtly said, this is based on the novels by Miku. The adaptation is produced by Millepensee, is written by Shin Itagaki, and co-directed by Shin Itagaki and Shingo Tanabe. We have yet another isekai where we have a lead character who is fat, and then one day finds all of his problems are solved when he is able to go from his human world to a fantasy world, turns into a super thin hot guy, gets two worlds worth of friends and harem acquaintances, and is as shallow as a puddle. The mean-spirited nature of this show is cartoonish and melodramatic in the worst way possible. It’s one of those lazy and uninspired power fantasies that aren’t interested in going in-depth with how society treats people who look different or are heavy. It’s a bad version of Lookism that actually delves into the topics this show failed to tackle with much more nuance. Outside of its repugnant characters and terrible writing, it’s just another power fantasy that isn’t interesting at all. These authors need to do better. Screw this self-indulgent power fantasy nonsense. Your petty pathetic power fantasy ruins any potential this anime could have had in the story department.

My One-Hit Kill Sister (Crunchyroll)

CW: themes of incest

This show honestly has the exact opposite problem from which most of these shows from this season suffer. This anime is directed by Hiroaki Takagi, written by Yohei Kashii, and produced by Studio Gekko. It’s based on the novels and manga by Konoe. What’s so fascinating about this anime is how hard it goes with its visual presentation. Out of all of the shows to have a stunning visual look and some of the best-directed action of the season, it shouldn’t be the anime with an incest kink with the older sister wanting to be very close to her younger brother. The whiplash you get from how well-executed certain scenes and jokes are is on the level of some of the best action and comedy anime out there, and yet what falls apart is the fact that this has a heavy emphasis on an incest subplot. Sure, they can try to write it off that she really cares about her brother, but it’s not in a way that says she just cares for him on a platonic level, because without that angle, it’s just a middling if well-executed edgy dark isekai fantasy comedy. It has a funny angle of the brother being sent to a fantasy world and not being the special one, whereas the sister is the one with all of the power fantasy tropes, and some of the jokes, (or at the very least, the execution of the jokes are more humorous than usual), but the incest angle is an instant turn-off to ever recommending this show. It also isn’t the only show this season with incest or a possible incest angle.

The Aristocrat’s Otherworldly Adventure (Crunchyroll)

CW: Harassment played for laughs, and some slight hints of incest.

Well, while I do not like this show for a multitude of similar reasons I don’t like most isekai power fantasies, I can say that at least this isn’t a tedious chore in many ways. This is based on the novels by Yashu. It’s produced by EMT Squared. It’s co-directed by Noriyuki Nakamura and Mitsutaka Noshitani, and written by Natsuko Takahashi. As I said, it suffers from a lot of the nonsense that plagues the most boring and generic isekai stories that include no stakes and harem elements that become slightly creepy when it’s about our lead who is a child for much of the show’s run. They also introduce mentors who don’t do anything, and there are no stakes in the action since our hero can’t be harmed. They try to make the characters more interesting by focusing on the more comedic angle of the series, and that is honestly its strongest aspect. The show is really adamant about being a comedy and it does a lot of different gags and jokes to make for a more entertaining sit. Even if the jokes don’t always land, it’s more than most isekai that play their stale power fantasies straight. They are trying a lot of things with this show and due to bad pacing and the stuff mentioned above, it still falls flat, but it’s not a boring sit.

KamiKatsu Working for a God in a Godless World (Crunchyroll)

Honestly, while I wouldn’t call the fantasy/isekai genre this season as good as others since it’s pretty rancid in a lot of ways when one of the best shows is still a dumpster fire, that’s a telling note of this being one of the best by default. It’s based on the manga by Aoi Akashiro. It’s directed by Yuki Inaba, written by Aoi Akashiro, and produced by Studio Palette.Yeah, this is one of the most infamous anime of the season, and not because characters do repugnant things or a creative is a terrible person. I mean, who knows, those things could happen, but more about the production side of things is why this show is being heralded as a dumpster fire/ironic classic. Shoddy editing, wild jumps in quality with animation, and inconsistent tones make this a real hot mess of a series to watch. On one side of the quality spectrum it’s a harsh snappy commentary about religious extremists and sex, but on the other side, it takes itself too seriously at points for the few laughs to fall flat, it restarts its stakes about halfway through the show’s run, and the zany tone it wants to go for doesn’t truly stick to that lane. This could have been the new generation Cromartie High, but due to its lack of commitment to the bit, it falls hard on its face. It’s a real shame, because I was down when it stuck to the zany unhinged side of its run, but it’s hard to fully recommend, since this show will either be your cup of tea or just turn you right off. Sure, it’s being made by a studio that is relatively new and a director who hasn’t done a lot of actual directing, but it at least stands out from the rest due to how wild it tries to go at points with its story and humor.

Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts (Crunchyroll)

Thankfully, we don’t end the fantasy isekai genre of this season on a bad note. Granted, if this show was in any other stronger season, it wouldn’t be at the top, but here we are, and at least it’s a solid show. This is based on the manga by Yu Tomofuji. It’s produced by JC Staff, written by Seishi Minakami, and directed by Chiaki Kon. While this is yet another take on Beauty and the Beast, unlike last season’s similar show and has to compete with The Ancient Magus Bride this season, Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts actually does stand on its own compared to other shows with similar premises. For one thing, our female lead actually has stakes, unlike some shows where they take all of their stakes and have them solely rely on the beastly individual for everything. What also makes this stand out is that while it is a fantasy romance, it’s more interested in the world and politics of our beast king’s actions of having a human bride and how she is treated in both the human and beast world. While I am not fond of how young the lead is compared to the king, their chemistry almost distracts from that. It’s nothing original for this type of story, but being original can sometimes be its own beast of burden, and just being a well-constructed show is enough. Again, if this was in any other season, this probably wouldn’t be at the top, but due to the world, the characters, the inciting incidents that kick off this powder keg drama, and the twist and turns we see unwrap, it makes for a really solid watch.

Romance/Comedy

Rokudo’s Bad Girls (Crunchyroll)

This category is starting out with a rough and rather clunky show based on the manga by Yuji Nakamura. It’s directed by Keiya Sato, written by Yuichiro Momose, and produced by Satelight. You would think an anime that’s trying to be retro in its visuals and premise about a boy who ends up with a curse where he gains a harem of ladies, but they are only delinquents and “bad girls”, would be funny or creative, but it’s not. It doesn’t seem sure what it wants to be with its take on masculinity and finding a more peaceful approach to conflicts, due to how the entire premise is based around our lead inadvertently getting all the bad girls to like him. What makes this premise worse are the implications of a single male individual thinking he can tame “wild girls” and how they all don’t really have any personality to speak of. They have character quirks, but they are extremely surface level, and the main blonde bad girl has no personality. Sure, they might show off some backstory about these characters at one point or another, but by the third episode, when you have been sitting there tolerating the mediocre action, animation, and writing, you just end up feeling like you wasted your entire time watching those episodes hoping for something good. It’s terrible, and not in a fun way other shows can be fun while being bad.

Yuri is My Job (Crunchyroll)

Hey, look, a Studio Passione project that isn’t sleazy and creepy. This is based on the manga by Miman. It’s co-directed by Hijiri Sanpei and Takahiro Majima, written by Naoki Hayashi, and produced by Studio Passione and Studio Lings. This show had me conflicted about how to feel about the few episodes I watched. On one hand, the premise is creative about a girl who puts on a facade in front of everyone who is put to the test with said facade when she gets roped into a dinner theater-like cafe. It’s definitely a melodramatic, possibly queer romance story where our lead has to come to terms with the persona/face she puts on when she has to do it differently when the theatrical stuff takes place at an all-girls school that obviously dips into queer romantic intent at points. It’s a fascinating premise that gets a touch repetitive until the third episode gets the ball rolling. I like the ideas that this show brings to the table, and the drama, if a bit melodramatic and queerbait-feeling, is compelling stuff. What do you do when the face you put on to make people compelled to like you, is put to the test in a setting where that face has to adapt on the fly? What happens when the persona is so much your personality that it becomes hard for people to know when it’s on or off? I have heard and read it gets better past the third episode, but if this all sounds interesting, give it a watch! It’s just not for me.

Too Cute Crisis (HiDive)

Some viewers may want compelling thrillers. Some viewers may want high-octane action. Some may just want to see someone who has never seen cats or dogs before react to them and have their love for them to not have the earth blow up. It’s based on the manga by Mitsuru Kido. It’s directed by Jun Hatori, written by Aya Satsuki, and produced by SynergySP. Honestly, this is the most straightforward anime of the season. An alien is sent down to survey the earth and see if it’s worth blowing up, but is smitten by encountering cats and has a change of heart. Its main focus is poking fun, but also being sincere about the obsession pet owners have with their animals and this passive competition of the owners having the cutest animal. It doesn’t have the flashiest animation and a lot of its humor is reliant on viewers being pet owners, but it’s a cute series. It’s extremely silly and lightweight, but if you are down for a bunch of animal and pet owner jokes with a slice of sci-fi in your comedies, then you will like this series. It even has real-life photos of pets in the credits, and it does just make you want to snuggle and take photos of your favorite pets or cute animals.

A Galaxy Next Door (Crunchyroll)

Sometimes, a rom-com needs to have an out-of-this-world angle and perspective to stand out from the rest. Sadly, it also came out in the same season as Tonikawa Season 2. This is based on the manga by Gido Amagakure. It’s produced by Asahi Productions, directed by Ryuichi Kimura, and written by Gigaemon Ichikawa. Reading up how this manga was from the same author that made Sweetness and Lightning makes so much sense due to how both manga and anime are about a father taking care of their kids, and in A Galaxy Next Door’s case, the father meets a young woman who is actually from a race of people from the stars that took refuge on an island off of Japan. It feels a bit like a wish fulfillment. Oh, the woman who signed up to do illustration work for the lead’s manga happens to be a huge fan of his work, has read everything obsessively, and happens to be drop-dead gorgeous? It’s not as self-indulgent as some of the isekais we talk about, but it has that feeling. What does help is that the characters are likable and they take their time for their bond and relationship to build and grow as the two bond with one another. It’s a bit slow-paced and that does hurt the show due to how low-key it all is. At some point, the family drama and the bond between the father and his kids can be more interesting than the main romance of the couple. With all that said, if you like slow-burn and I mean really slow-paced shows, then you will like this one.

The Reason Why Raelina Ended up at the Duke’s Mansion (Crunchyroll)

While this is technically an isekai, it’s really more of a romantic drama. It is based on a South Korean web novel by Milcha. It’s directed by Junichi Yamamoto, written by Mitsutaka Hirota, and produced by Typhoon Graphics. Instead of Raelina reincarnating as the main female lead of a romance novel, she is a minor character in the novel the isekai world is based on, and her fate is to be killed. So, that puts us in the shoes of our lead who goes out of her way to make sure she doesn’t end up on some royal’s hit list and to make sure she gets the life she didn’t have in the modern world. Much of the runtime is her maneuvering around the rich socialite lifestyle so she doesn’t end up six feet under the ground, and a lot of the emphasis is put on her relationships with everyone. It can be compelling stuff, if a tad clunky from time to time. Some moments feel like a bit too big of a leap in logic, and the sometimes solid and sometimes underwhelming animation can make yet another slow-burn thriller feel very frustrating to sit through. It gets juicy though when our lead realizes that while she is playing her version of chess to make sure she doesn’t die, her key player in her plan is also playing his own version of chess to get out of certain situations, and it combines in a romantic drama that can be compelling to watch. It definitely got me wanting to check out the rest of the series.

The Dangers in My Heart (HiDive)

It’s always nice when an anime decides to surprise you every season, and this is one of those hidden gem surprises that snuck up on this anime fan. This is based on the manga by Norio Sakurai. It’s directed by Hiroaki Akagi, written by Jukki Hanada, and produced by Shin-Ei Animation. Basically, it’s a story about an edgy teen who thinks of dark murder-like thoughts of taking out his other classmates, but in reality, is just an angsty teenager who is depressed, and he has the realization about his classmate he decides should be his first victim. The realization is that he thinks the popular girl is cute, but also finds out that she isn’t just a stereotypical popular girl, but is silly, loves snacks, and so on. The show is basically about their blossoming friendship and love. It captures a very real feeling of that time period of being a teenager where you become edgy, discover your attraction to the other sex, and become an individual who doesn’t quite know how to take in all of these new situations and emotions. Ever want to see yourself squirm and remember how awkward or terrible you are as a blossoming teenager? This show will do that well! It’s a sweet show that does a lot with its premise, and shows constant character growth and makes some types of jokes work that I don’t normally care for. That’s rare! Anyway, this was a surprise gem this season and it shows how good a lot of HiDive’s shows were this season.

Oshi no Ko aka My Favorite Idol (HiDive)

Spoiler talk

Content Warning, Stalking, mentions of suicide, and abuse.

This one is a lot, and that’s both good and in some ways bad. But when the manga is by the same author of Kaguya Sama: Love is War, then you know you are in for something. This is based on the manga by Aka Akasaka. It’s directed by Daisuke Hiramaki, written by Jin Tanaka, and produced by Doga Kobo. So, since it’s been more than a month since this anime’s release, it’s time to talk about this film’s extremely unhinged premise, but surprisingly well-done execution of said premise. If you don’t want to know about the premise, skip this section until you see the first episode. Now then, let’s begin! First off, it starts with a 90-min first episode, and you get why it did. If your plot was of a doctor and a terminally ill teen being reborn as the two children of their favorite idol, and what feels like a sweet romantic slice-of-life turns into a drama with a slow-burn revenge thriller of finding the person behind the idol’s murder, then you would need 90 minutes to get all of that out of the way first. They could have made a 30-minute or an hour-long premiere, but it really does set up the emotional connection you make with the characters, and then those last five minutes really stab you in the feelings. It turns from idol stuff into a romantic drama about the two now teenage kids going about their lives in the entertainment industry, where the daughter tries to make it as an idol and the son tries to find connections to his mother’s murder. It also starts to sharply critique the entertainment industry on multiple avenues from idols, child acting, to the cynical marketing made by production companies to hamper actors who are truly great. It’s a show with layers of character depths and what drives them. Granted, the manga has some issues and irksome manga/anime-like elements, but the 90-min episode skips through a lot of the baby/child phase of the story for good reason since it seems like the focus of the people behind this adaptation knew what was more important to focus on. It might not grab everyone and you have to get through the 90-min first episode and the out-there premise, but I would easily recommend it as one of the stand-out series this season.

Loving Yamada at lv 999 (Crunchyroll)

Still, if someone had to ask what romcom anime gave me the best impressions from its three-plus episodes, then this one would be it. This is based on the manga by Mashiro. It’s produced by Madhouse, written by Yasuhiro Nakanishi, and directed by Morio Asaka. We have yet another romcom anime this year with college/young adults as the leads, and as always it feels so refreshing that it isn’t just teen romance. Even when the teen romance is good, you just want to see some variety in ages, and this season brought us that in spades. What also helps is how they created this great parallel between the online game the characters connect with, and the story of a woman going through a rough breakup and bonding with a member of a guild via the game they play in real life. Both of our leads are complex, interesting, funny, and truly human in their interactions. Sure, our male lead is a shut-in gamer who doesn’t have a lot of human connection, but obviously isn’t a terrible person. Our female lead is dealing with pain and wants to put the sadness and anger of her breakup through the wringer instead of dealing with it sensibly. It’s another compelling drama/romcom that’s equal parts funny, romantic, and appealing to the eye via Madhouse’s fantastic animation. You feel for them, and their chemistry is wonderful. The cast of side characters are also great additions to the roster, and makes it an incredible series. I wholly recommend it to anyone who wants to watch the best of the romcom/drama.

And that is the Spring 2023 anime season! Overall, thinking about the lineup between Part 1 and 2, this was a great season. It definitely took some time to get good, and some of the bad anime were intensely terrible, but since the anime industry is going to keep chugging along no matter how many times people tell them to slow down, we might as well keep track of the industry in its doom spiral. Hopefully, they change, because as usual, when anime is great, it’s really good!

My Spring 2023 Anime Recommendations: Loving Yamada at lvl 999, Oshi no Ko, Hell’s Paradise, Skip & Loafer, The Dangers in My Heart, Magical Destroyers, Mashle, Otaku Elf, Insomniacs After School, My Clueless First Friend, Heavenly Delusion.

Spring Cleaning the 2023 Spring Anime Season Part 1

May 25, 2023May 25, 2023 camseyeview Editorials, Lists A-1 Pictures, Akihiko Higuchi, Akira Kindaichi, anime, Bibury Animation Studios, C-Station, Crunchyroll, Cygames, Daishiro Tanimura, Dead Mount Death Play, Disney+, Geek Toys, Hajime Komoto, Heavenly Delusion, Hell's Paradise, HiDive, Hiroshi Ikehata, Hirotaka Mori, Hulu, Insomniacs After School, Jun Inagawa, Kaori Makita, Kazuha Kishimoto, Kenta Ihara, Kohei Kiyasu, Kotomi Deai, Liden Films, Magical Destroyers, Makoto Fukami, Makoto Ojiro, Manabu Ono, Masakazu Ishiguro, Masao Kawase, Masayuki Sakoi, Mashle: Magic and Muscle, Misaki Takamatsu, Motoki Nakanishi, My Clueless First Friend, My Home Hero, Naoki Yamakawa, Opus Colors, Otaku Elf, P.A. Works, Production I-G, Rintaro Ikeda, Rion Kujo, Ryugo Narita, Sayaka Harada, Shigenori Kageyama, Shogo Yasukawa, Shunsuke Tada, Skip and Loafer, Spring 2023 Anime Season, Studio 3HZ, Studio C2C, Studio Elle, Studio MAPPA, Studio Signpost, Subaruichi, Summoned to Another World for a Second Time, Takafumi Hosikawa, Takashi Kamei, Takebumi Anzai, Taku Kamamura, Tezuka Productions, The Legendary Hero is Dead, The Marginal Service, Tomoya Tanaka, Yosuke Kuroda, Yu Sato, Yuji Kaku, Yuki Ikeda, Yukihito

2023’s spring season was fascinating to watch unfold. While not feeling as thrilling as 2021 or 2022’s spring season, I would argue it’s more diverse and experimental with its ideas of what adaptations got put into this released chunk of the year. While it definitely had its share of big titles to be hyped about, it also had a slew of surprises that came with some of the underdogs. Even the big hype machine titles had something going on with them more so than previous titles that everyone was looking forward to seeing in previous seasonal anime drops. It’s a more provocative lineup of anime titles that even the lesser ones were, at some points, trying to be different in some way shape or form. Now then, let’s get started!

Action/Adventure

Summoned to Another World for a Second Time (Crunchyroll)

Just wouldn’t be an isekai or fantasy adventure without some isekais that don’t do enough to stand out. This is based on the light novels and manga by Kazuha Kishimoto. It’s directed by Motoki Nakanishi, written by Yukihito, and produced by Studio Elle. As usual we have an isekai that has a potentially interesting premise of our lead getting summoned into a fantasy world, but the twist being is that he has been here before. You think this would lead to fun or interesting commentary about the isekai genre, and crafting some great jokes, but instead, it plays it straight with no thrills or chills to call its own. Even some of the gags it has have been done better in much more lovable shows. These authors can’t seem to get past the elevator pitch with their ideas, and that sucks since this had so much more potential to be something special, but isn’t. The characters fall flat, the action isn’t stellar, the setting is boring, and it’s just a reminder of how most isekais need to start doing better.

The Marginal Service (Crunchyroll)

We have one of the few original anime this season and it’s sadly not one of the better ones. This show is directed by Masayuki Sakoi, written by Kenta Ihara, and produced by Studio 3HZ and Cygames. You think a mix of Men in Black and Power Rangers-themed construction suits/weaponry fighting cryptids and aliens would be fun, but the show, at least for its first three episodes, spends too much time explaining its world instead of showing it. The characters are one-note and annoying, the gags aren’t funny, and the animation isn’t as personality-driven as the show feels like or wants it to be. It’s a creative idea with a lot of potential possibilities to get better as time goes on, but it has left a really underwhelming taste on my anime-watching palette. It’s a shame since original anime should be supportive, but just as there are bad adaptations, there are also bad original anime.

The Legendary Hero is Dead (Crunchyroll)

Well, the premise for this one is interesting enough. This is based on the manga by Subaruichi. The anime is directed by Rion Kujo, written by Yu Sato, and produced by Liden Films. For a dark comedy fantasy anime, the hook of the setting is a fun one. Our lead is a dirtbag who accidentally gets the legendary hero killed and now has to take on not only the mantle of the hero but also his body via his spirit. This could’ve led to some very fun jabs at the genre and to some funny jokes. Well, too bad it’s not as creative as the elevator pitch for this show is. The leads are all very forgettable. Our main lead is a skeevy dirtbag, our female lead is there for the sake of fanservice, and the necromancer is the most well-rounded character, but she is inconsistently written, and that results in a party of characters you don’t really want to hang out with. They even introduce a villain who is way worse as a human being that is only there to give you a reason to root for our unlikeable lead. Having mean and nasty characters isn’t the constant deal breaker, it’s the fact that everything else around those leads doesn’t balance it all out.

Dead Mount Death Play (Crunchyroll)

This anime is adapted from the manga by Ryugo Narita of Durarara!! and Baccano fame. It’s directed and written by Manabu Ono and produced by Geek Toys. Instead of being a normal isekai, we have a reverse isekai of a necromancer getting sent to the modern day. While it doesn’t have the same quality or charm as the author’s previous work, the show is, at the very least, more compelling than most isekai/action shows with our lead being more compelling and likable than most leads. Heck, a lot of the characters here are more likable than most isekai casts. It helps that the source material and the author have turned out good work in the past that relied heavily on good character chemistry. It’s just a shame that the animation is underwhelming and the show is only a bit more polished when it comes to the fanservicey aspects. I mean, that seems to be a consistent problem with a lot of shows this season having lackluster animation, but it’s frustrating because the rest of the show is good, and amazing animation isn’t always needed, but when the clunkiness is on screen, it’s hard to not have it detract from the show. Still, anytime an isekai can do better and be more creative than the rest, then I’m down to be more supportive of it as long as it keeps up the rest of the story, and the show is compelling.

Magical Destroyers (Crunchyroll)

While I am not always down for chaotically trashy anime, this is one of the few exceptions to the rule. This original anime was created by Jun Inagawa. It’s directed by Hiroshi Ikehata and Masao Kawase, written by Daishiro Tanimura, and produced by Bibury Animation Studios. This feels like an anime that was made by Studio Trigger or later down the line Studio Gainax that has the passion and spirit of early to mid-2000s anime. It’s pretty much nerds with the help of their leader and a group of magical girls having to defeat the government which has quarantined and made otaku culture a bad thing to preserve Japan’s morals and honor. It might be another “we love otaku culture and this world is set in a world where otaku are targets of the government” anime, but unlike a lot of them, this one feels like it took a more unhinged and unapologetically nerdy approach to this action show and it is full of life because of it. It’s trashy, horny, thrilling, confusing, loving, and partly hateful of otaku culture, and feels mostly like it’s a team of people who want to see something a bit deranged, compared to a lot of the more “normal” anime out this season. It’s out to have a fun high-octane time, and whether that holds up over 12 or so episodes has yet to be seen, but at least it has one of the most exhilarating opening sequences of any anime this season. Seriously, even if you don’t watch this show or don’t like it, you can’t deny that the opening is just pure anime in the best way possible. Whether it sticks the landing or not is beside the point. Or at least, it’s beside the point with this show.

Mashle: Magic and Muscle (Crunchyroll)

We have yet again another alternative piece of art that has wizards and isn’t created by a horrible transphobic author. This anime is based on the manga by Hajime Komoto. It’s produced by A-1 Pictures, written by Yosuke Kuroda, and directed by Tomoya Tanaka. It’s basically what if Saitama from One Punch Man was thrown into a better version of Harry Potter? Well, this is what you would get. While our lead is intensely strong and can pretty much beat anyone into submission if need be, he is unfortunately in a world where everyone but him has magical powers. What makes this show fun is how they figure out creative ways for our lead character to get around the school’s curriculum by using his brute strength and quick if inconsistent smarts to pass classes like using “magic” to unlock a key or using a broom to fly. The ways they play with our protagonist’s strengths and his sometimes dense wits drives this into being one of the best comedies of the year so far. The sheer ways they come up with gags and solutions to problems never stop being amusing and it has a lot going on underneath the comedic shenanigans, but it so far from what I have seen balances it out perfectly. It results in a show that might not get everything about the manga right but is a consistently fun show to watch.

Hell’s Paradise (Crunchyroll)

And here we have the big Studio MAPPA anime of the season that shows that while this studio needs to get its act together with how they treat their animators, and stop taking on so much work, they are the only studio in the anime industry that could tackle something like this project. This is based on the manga by Yuji Kaku, is directed by Kaori Makita, and written by Akira Kindaichi. What makes this thrilling action/horror anime so exciting to watch are the stakes of a bunch of criminals and their handlers being sent to an island to find an elixir of life that happens to be populated by horrific plants and grotesque monsters are how the stakes are raised by the third episode. A lot of characters that are introduced are not going to make it past this point, and while it’s frustrating to see such fun designs end up not making it past the first three episodes, it makes for a sign of how brutal this show can be. The danger is around every corner and that isn’t counting the inhabitants of the island itself, but all the other criminals and the handlers that are ready and willing to kill one another to get off the island. Heck, who says the monsters are the only human-based things to worry about? With MAPPA’s usual polished animation, exciting action set pieces, and a more human study-based story about life, death, and what makes these characters thrive results in an easy frontrunner for one of the best anime this season in a season full of really strong contenders.

Slice of Life/Drama

My Clueless First Friend (Crunchyroll)

Sometimes, what ya need is a spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down. This anime is based on the manga by Taku Kamamura. It’s directed by Shigenori Kageyama, written by Takafumi Hosikawa and Shogo Yasukawa, and produced by Studio Signpost. While this anime doesn’t do anything new with it being about a girl who is constantly bullied for looking “like a grim reaper” the one person to befriend her is a boy who doesn’t quite get the memo and thinks she is cool. It is an intensely sincere anime. The act of being kind to one another really is what drives this show into being a fun lightweight watch with some goofy antics, sweet-as-sugar moments, and some solid story beats and character growth from the cast. Sometimes, you just want to watch something to escape from the cynical and harsh world for a few episodes. Definitely an easy watch and one to recommend.

Otaku Elf (HiDive)

Who knew the slice-of-life genre would be full of super charming shows? This one is based on the manga by Akihiko Higuchi. The anime is directed by Takebumi Anzai, written by Shogo Yasukawa, and produced by C2C. What starts off as a simple gag anime with an elf that was sent to Japan centuries ago and who now is seen as a goddess can almost feel one note. The only real gag is that now that the elf is aware of geek and pop culture fandoms and memorabilia, she has become reclusive like most nerd-like characters seen in anime and other forms of media. But then they start sprinkling in little payoffs to why she is so reclusive, and while a lot of it is played for laughs and to poke fun at merchandise stuff, it does show a more sincere reason as to why she shuts herself off from the world. How being alive for so long and seeing the world literally change around you, and experiencing the people that you love and know pass on while you still live can really affect how open you become to people in the world. And that is all just in the first episode where we see her learn to be more social and friendly towards other people. It also is nice that this show got some of the better-looking visuals and character animation, though that might be because they have an official Red Bull sponsorship. This is funny because they have some well-known brands and then parody brands, which makes you wonder how they pick and choose what brands they could use. Still, the rest of the cast including the elf’s handler, her sister, and her classmate, and I definitely want to see who the other characters are to find out how they fit into this very quirky world.

Insomniacs After School (HiDive)

Even though I love the quirkiness of a lot of anime, at times, anime is at its best when it’s wholly unique and different from the rest of the shows that have come out during this season. This includes Insomniacs After School. This is based on the manga by Makoto Ojiro. Its adaptation is directed by Yuki Ikeda, written by Rintaro Ikeda, and produced by Liden Films. While not similar in any major way, this show reminds me of Call of The Night from last year’s summer season. It has a low-fi atmosphere to its slice-of-life antics about two teens who suffer from insomnia making their hang out in the school’s observatory which is rather quiet in its atmospheric tone. It’s a romantic experience as we see our leads bond over looking at the stars and fulfilling night-based activities together. They are two individuals who feel isolated and alone in the daytime period of the day but feel personally connected to one another as the night sky blankets over the earth, and the stars make themselves known throughout the far reaches of the universe as they hang over the leads observing them. Granted, what kind of money is a high school making to have its own functioning observatory, but I digress. What matters most is how this show really does have a great pair of protagonists, fantastic supporting cast members, and some lovely ethereal visuals to keep you hooked to the screen.

Skip and Loafer (Crunchyroll)

Honestly, this and Insomniacs After School are tied as some of my favorite anime of the year. This is based on the manga by Misaki Takamatsu. It’s written and directed by Kotomi Deai, and produced by P.A. Works. This show reminds me a lot of Horimiya, where we dive more into the characters that have an outward persona that they show off but are way more complex individuals with reasons why they use the facade that they have, with the exception of our lead who is unapologetically themselves no matter who they are hanging with. It’s a show about acceptance and how we sometimes overthink situations and what we observe about people around us. It’s such a low-key show that really mellows you out and tells you to not over-complicate life and what you do with friends. It’s an absolutely wholesome show that is delightful from start to finish due to the incredible designs, animation, and probably the best opening song sequence of any anime this season.

Other

Opus Colors (Crunchyroll)

This original anime is directed by Shunsuke Tada, written by Sayaka Harada, and produced by C-Station. You would think the story of the struggle of two creative individuals crafting AR/VR art would be both visually splendid and compelling. It’s neither of those things. This spring season has brought us some very ugly-looking anime and Opus Colors is very much one of the worst-looking shows of the season. Flat, lifeless characters, generic designs, queerbaiting through the roof, contrived drama to drive the plot, but not much else, and so much more. This should be a fascinating drama of what it’s like for two creatives, an artist and what is essentially their producer to struggle to be on the same page to make something powerful and evocative, but due to the underwhelming animation, it all falls flat. It’s a frustrating show to sit through due to how boring and drab it all is. Even though it’s not based on any preexisting manga or mobile game, it sure feels like it was made to advertise a mobile rhythm game with a bunch of good-looking guys, but the twist is that the game never came out and we are stuck with its ad campaign. A really tedious show to watch that is lacking any sort of cohesive artistic identity.

My Home Hero (Crunchyroll)

This show, even with its faults, is so distinct that it feels like a miracle that it got made in the current anime landscape. This is based on the manga by Naoki Yamakawa. It’s directed by Takashi Kamei, written by Kohei Kiyasu, and produced by Tezuka Productions. When was the last time an anime had a lead character that was 47? Seriously, in a landscape that requires lead characters to be at most 16 years old, we rarely if ever get adult-focused main characters. This is one that is basically a drama thriller of the dad killing his daughter’s abusive yakuza boyfriend to protect her only to end up in the dark world of the yakuza. It is such a good premise, and it differentiates itself from most anime this season due to this. Watching the slow spiral of playing chess with the family dealing with the yakuza is a compelling watch. What sucks though is that the animation, once again, is lackluster. Again, the anime industry could improve the quality of everything if they just paid their animators better and stopped overburdening them among other things. Imagine if this show had the proper lighting and imagery a dramatic thriller like this needs. Sure, the story can be a bit melodramatic, but anime is melodramatic. A lot of media and dramas are melodramatic. As long as the show is making a convincing case for itself, then that’s all that matters. I could see this one probably spiraling out of control, but considering how many mediocre anime we get with teen characters, it’s okay to root for and support shows like this, because that’s how we get more shows like this and not the middling slop we tend to get that fill up every season.

Heavenly Delusion (Disney+/Hulu)

Consider this one of the biggest surprises of the season. This anime is directed by Hirotaka Mori, written by Makoto Fukami, and produced by Production I.G. It’s based on the manga by Masakazu Ishiguro. What we have here is a fairly complex and mysterious dystopian sci-fi journey as we follow two different plots happening at around the same time. They are full of themes and commentary about life, sexuality, sex, relationships, gender, and gender norms/gender roles in society that are placed on certain people. It finds a way to balance it all out really well with some of this season’s best visuals and animation. Luckily, it doesn’t get too stuck in the mud or in the depths of its own hubris as it keeps you guessing what exactly is going on and how the two concurring plots connect to one another. It’s a sci-fi anime that isn’t afraid to step back from heavy-handed philosophical quandaries and dialogue being the focus, and instead lets you live in the world this show sets up and invests into the characters and their individualistic drives of what they are looking for in a scary unnerving world.

Least Favorite Animated Films of 2022

May 15, 2023May 15, 2023 camseyeview Editorials, Lists 2D animation, Amazon Prime, CGI animation, cgi film, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Roderick Rules, Disney+, Elevenarts, hotel transylvania, Hotel Transylvania: Transformania, Marmaduke, Netflix Animation, Night at the Museum: Kahmunra's Revenge, Pinocchio: Based on a True Story, Riverdance: The Animated Adventure, Ryoma: The Prince of Tennis, The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild, The Soccer Football Movie, Worst to Best Animated Films of 2022

Sorry to keep getting these types of articles up late, but sometimes you need time to just let everything simmer about how amazing and chaotic a year like 2022 was in animation. Lots of great stuff, but also stuff that missed the mark. The talented crews and artists made some of the best animated films for Netflix, while the streaming service also had some of the most panned animated films of 2022. Only in this chaotic world of the animation industry can this happen. As usual, these will be the nine animated films I liked the least during this year, and it’s always a shame that I can’t like everything. No one wants to criticize the people who work in a chaotic industry that needs all the love and support they can get right now. Despite this list and ranking, and however I feel about these films, I’m always going to be rooting for everyone to succeed. Now then, let’s get started.

9. Night at the Museum: Kahmunra’s Revenge

Maybe it would have been better if I had more attachment to the franchise, but this film felt like it was made to be a pilot for an animated TV series. The script does have a few moments where the comedy hits and the 2D animation is better than what I was expecting. Still, the story and themes feel undercooked and needlessly complicated with the introduction of an art museum and how the portraits can be portals to the past. It doesn’t help either that a good chunk of the cast is there for nostalgia and fans, and then they don’t do anything. Still, if it’s here, then that means I still enjoyed it, but their non-Pixar-released-to-Disney Plus films have not been great.

8. Ryoma: The Prince of Tennis

The biggest sin that a sports film can commit is to not be about the sport itself. Instead of being based on the main series, this film is based on the stageplays. This means a much heavier focus on big grand musical moments and very little focus on story cohesion and characters. You think the plot of our lead getting sent back in time to see his dad would be interesting, but it’s not. You keep watching to see how absurd this film gets with rap battles and duets while playing one of the few scant games of tennis that you do see in the film. The CGI is also really ugly. It looks like a higher-end PlayStation 2 cinematic cutscene at points, and it’s a definite downgrade compared to the other CGI films from Japan that show how far they have come with films like The First Slam Dunk. The characters are forgettable, and once you are over the absurd things that ignite the musical sequences, the film is boring. Even when our lead meets and faces off with his dad, it’s too little too late. For a franchise that already doesn’t have a huge foothold in the US market, the fact we got this is wild. It was probably brought over when they were dubbing the second Prince of Tennis series, but it’s going to be a bad time if you make this your first piece of media to intake from the franchise.

7. Hotel Transylvania: Transformania

While Genndy Tartakovsky was still attached to the writing of this film, it feels like it also had the same energy as a DTV Disney film from back in the day. It had a creative hook of Andy Samberg’s character turning into a monster, and Drac and his friends turning human, but it doesn’t do much with the premise that feels like they weren’t given enough time to flesh out the story. It was part regressive of the character growth, lacked the same silly humor that was mastered in the third film, and once again, they bring a lot of your favorite characters back only for them to do very little. Even if the very little they do was decent, it just feels like a film that was running on fumes, and hopefully, the talented group of animators at Sony Pictures Animation hit it out of the park in the future, which seeing their lineup, probably will.

6. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Roderick Rules

Yeah, the promise of Diary of a Wimpy Kid animation adaptations has been a real disappointment so far. This one looks slightly better and has a better overall story, but a lot of these characters are not fun to be around. I still wish they had more time or a budget to make this film more visually interesting than it is, and I’m glad that they tried to put more of an emphasis on the family feeling more connected with one another. Still, Disney needs to give these people more time to craft an excellent animated adaptation of the books with the visual flair that they deserve.

5. Riverdance: The Animated Adventure

For a film based on the dance sensation, you would think there would be a bit more to it than dancing elk. To be fair, it does try to with trying to tie the story around a young boy dealing with the grief of losing his relative, but the animation and creativity on display don’t match the whimsy, and the more fantastical aspects of it don’t feel all that whimsical The dance sequences are also way more robotic due to either time or budgeting making the iconic dancing look more stiff and lifeless than it should be. Just a real forgettable experience and that’s a shame. In a world where we have films like The LEGO Movie and silly films like Seal Team, a Riverdance film is not that out there, but it just feels like they didn’t go far enough with their premise and production.

4. The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild

No matter how good this film could have been, it was always going to have the stink of Disney’s corporate greed of letting this film get made by a third-party studio, and banked on the love for the franchise and the return of Simon Pegg as Buck Wild. Sadly, this is essentially a direct-to-video plot with no other returning cast members and a huge downgrade to the CG animation from the theatrical films. It became less of a high-flying adventure of Buck saving the day, and more of a sad state of things as Disney shut down Blue Sky Studios and then made a film from one of their IPs that resulted in a cheap experience.

3. Pinocchio: Based on a True Story

Honestly, these next three films could tie for the worst. People elevated this film thinking it was going to be some gonzo disaster that was fueled by the meme of Pauly Shore’s take on Pinocchio, but when you take out the clips of Shore’s performance, the film is absurdly boring, badly animated, and will leave your mind once the film ends its sluggish finale. It banks on the meme factor and ends up with a frustratingly mediocre experience. Oh, and how is this fantastical story a “true story”? Seriously, there is a reason why this came and went as it did after it got its 15 seconds of fame.

2. The Soccer Football Movie

I’m still baffled by how this film came to be. There were no news announcements, no real trailers, the audiences only getting clips of this film a few days before it was released, and no production history that you could find beforehand. It just arrived on Netflix with no real mention of it from the company itself. Was this half-baked fever dream supposed to have originally come out during the World Cup? For whom was this made? Who was the target demographic? Why did this film need to get made? Even the creator of Angry Beavers who was the director of this, Tom Kenny, and Weird Al couldn’t save this heap from just feeling like a movie put together by an ai. Hopefully, the two soccer players who star in the film got to have a good time, but this is yet again, another film that just came and went with no real fanfare or reason to exist.

1. Marmaduke

Like I said above, The Soccer Football Movie, Pinocchio: Based on a True Story, and Marmaduke are tied for my least favorite animated films of the year. Something about Marmaduke filled me with dread, due to how it had a trailer that failed to impress, and when I was finally able to watch the film, I had a rough time sitting through it. You can tell this was trying to do more than what it possibly could on a small budget, but what it does try to do falls flat on its face with annoying characters, ugly designs, gags that fall flat, a weak story that doesn’t grab you at all, and some of the worst animation of 2022. Who knows what the animation production was for this film since it was supposed to come out before the pandemic happened, but it feels like they just made a first run-through of what the film will look like, and then couldn’t do a pass with adding better textures or anything like that. Better animation wouldn’t have helped a garbage story, but it would have at least made it a little bit more tolerable. A lot can happen in the production of animated features and this may have had a bad production, but it was probably a bad idea in the first place to make a film based on an IP that no one outside of rights holders care about. It was one of the few films I watched in 2022 that made me feel like I wasted my time, and the fact Netflix could put this out in the same year as The Sea Beast and Pinocchio is shocking.

The Winter 2023 Anime Season. The Winter 2023 Anime Season Never Changes Part 2

February 23, 2023February 23, 2023 camseyeview Editorials, Lists Ajia-do Animation Works, Akihiko Inari, anime, Ashi Productions, Aya Satsuki, Bakken Records, Buddy Daddies, Campfire Cooking in Another World With My Absurd Skill, Chillin in My 30s after Getting Fired from the Demon King Army, Crunchyroll, Diomedea, Encourage Films, Farming Life in Another World, Felix Film, Fumitoshi Oizaki, Funa, Gen Urobochi, Gen Urobuchi, HiDive, Hiroaki Ando, Hiroshi Tamada, Hitomi Amamiya, Ippon Again!, JC Staff, Junji Nishimura, Kaina of the Great Snow Sea, Ken Ogiwara, Kenichi Yamashita, Kinosuke Saito, Kiyoshi matsuda, Makoto Hoshino, Mamoru Oshii, Masaya Fujimori, Michiko Yotoke, Miri Mikawa, P.A. Works, Piero Karasu, Polygon Pictures, Ren Eguchi, Revenger, Rieko Hinata, Rokujuyon Okazawa, Ryoichi Kuraya, Sadayuki Murai, Saving 80000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement, Seishi Minakami, Sentai Filmworks, Shingo Tamaki, Signal MD, Signal MD., Studio MAPPA, Sugar Apple Fairy Tale, Tetsuya Yamada, The Fire Hunter, The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, The Tale of Outcasts, Touko Machida, Vio Shimokura, Wataru Watari, Winter 2023 Anime Season, Winter 2023 Anime Season Impressions, Yasutaka Yamamoto, Yohei Suzuki, Yoshiyuki Asai, Yu Muraoka, Yuko Kakihara, Zero-G

Here we are with Part 2 of the Winter 2023 Anime Season Impressions! If you have not seen Part 1, then please do so, since I covered the anime in that part that won’t show up here. This is definitely the area where the Winter 2023 strides with so many titles in this batch showing the best of the season. Now then, let’s get started.

Fantasy/Isekai

Chillin’ in My 30s after Getting Fired from the Demon King Army (Crunchyroll)

You ever see a show just bail on its own title/premise so quickly it breaks the sound barrier? Yeah, this is one of those shows. This is based on the novels by Rokujuyon Okazawa. The anime adaptation is directed by Fumitoshi Oizaki, who directed last spring season’s Deaimon, written by Hitomi Amamiya, and produced by Encourage Films. If this anime is supposed to be about relaxing after getting fired from your overdemanding job, then why revert to a power fantasy anime? If the lead is having to do stuff that isn’t just relaxing, then that’s not really relaxing. Sure, they couldn’t make a show where all he does is relax and just help out around the village. They were probably worried that people would get bored, but due to how bad the entertainment industry is, novels, manga, and anime aren’t given time to be good, which sucks since it doesn’t all have to be bad. To be fair to this show though, it isn’t the worst of the season. It has some charm and humor about itself, and it at the very least seems to be pro-worker’s rights. It just suffers from a premise that isn’t all that different from other fantasy shows, a female lead that flip-flops between anime figurine fodder and a self-reliant and competent hero, and world-building that isn’t all that impressive. In a weaker season, this could have been a better title, but it sits in my bottom five for right now.

Farming Life in Another World (HiDive)

I know video games have made farming a genre, but for some reason, anime has continued to struggle with this concept. This is based on the novel series by Kinosuke Saito. The adaptation is directed by Ryoichi Kuraya, written by Touko Machida, and produced by Zero-G. At the very least, this is better than Chillin’ in My 30s because it actually commits to its plot. It’s literally about a guy who starts a farming life in a fantasy world. No demon lord or saving the world. Granted, it has the harem element pretty early on by the 3rd episode, but it is at least trying to have some comedic personality, be about growing crops, and what you need to do to get into farming life. It’s still fairly boring though, with everyone having basically the same personality. It still should be focusing more on the details of growing certain plants and such, but overall, it’s fine. Just a low-key anime that isn’t the worst of the season. There are way more frustrating anime out this season that are more of a chore to watch than this one.

The Fire Hunter (Crunchyroll)

It’s a shame this anime is the other poster child for the possibility that the anime industry really needs to take a moment and stop crafting so many hot messes. Consider this one of winter 2023’s biggest disappointments. Based on the novels by Rieko Hinata, this adaptation is written by Mamoru Oshii, directed by Junji Nishimura, and produced by Signal MD. Listen, I know Oshii loves to make really dense scripts, and the fact that much of this show is focused more on the lore, history, politics, and world-building than the actual characters, is a sign of such. It’s a fascinating world about how humans can become easily combustible in the presence of fire, and now have to use a special liquid farmed from beasts to do things like light special fires and fuel their vehicles. This show has a lot going for it, and once again, it feels like it is an adaptation issue that the storytelling is so dense and easy to glaze over, due to how much people go on and on talking about the history of the world. Like, some world-building and exposition is needed, but not the entire script. It left a sour taste after watching the first three episodes, and from what I have seen from the episodes past that point, nothing is changing, but if you like the show that’s cool. Not every show will be for everyone, but if a majority of people are already turning away from it due to its choppy and wonky animation and dense storytelling more interested in background stuff than actually being about the characters, then that’s a bad sign. It’s a shame, but if this show wasn’t so committed to Oshii and his team’s worst aspects as a creative, then maybe people wouldn’t be ready to leave the show. Also, just because the source material has an explanation, if they weren’t able to give a clear answer in the anime adaptation, then that’s on the anime, not the audience members being confused or their eyes glazing over due to their being too much dialogue on which to focus.

The Tale of Outcasts (Crunchyroll)

Yeah, it sucks this show is coming out a season before much better alternatives of this type of story will be coming out in the next anime season this year. This is based on the manga series by Makoto Hoshino. It’s directed by Yasutaka Yamamoto, written by Kenichi Yamashita, and produced by Ashi Productions. The biggest problem this show has is its tone. It wants to be both a dark fantasy with a romantic escape for its young lead who makes a deal with a demon to trade her eyesight for his protection, and then lightweight at times with super quirky moments that don’t really mesh well with the rest of the show’s much darker storyline. The animation is fine and some of the action scenes are decent, but the design of our main demon bugs me due to his demon form, and the first episode is a really rough sit. Maybe some fans will find time to watch it, but most will be waiting to see the second season of The Ancient Magus Bride or Sacrificial Princess and The King of Beasts in the spring season.

Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement (Crunchyroll)

When an anime has a very creative premise, how much are you willing to tolerate its rougher edges? This is based on the novels by Funa. The anime adaptation is directed by Hiroshi Tamada, written by Akihiko Inari, and produced by Felix Films. There is some admiration to be had with how this is an isekai where our lead can travel to and from the real world and the fantasy world that she ends up in. The premise itself has some fun and creative opportunities, and I have heard some positive reviews of the light novels on which this show is based. Still, either a wonky adaptation, or what feels like a slow burn to see where this story goes, frankly hurts its chances to watch past episode 3. The second episode is more real-world prep for the lead to head back into the fantasy world, and the fantasy world seems more like a pseudo road trip than her figuring out how to make enough money to save for her retirement. It does feel more interested in the world-building and character dynamics than the antics of raising enough money to retire easily, but the execution feels uneven. Doesn’t help that the animation isn’t great, and there are definitely some aspects of the show that will maybe rub people the wrong way. Still, it at least has something going for it than most isekai that come out every season. It might not reach the heights of the best ones from this season, but it still deserves some admiration for its twists on the formula.

Kaina of the Great Snow Sea (Crunchyroll)

It’s rather bizarre how this season has brought us two slow-burn original fantasy series, and that’s pretty neat. This is an original anime that is produced at Polygon Pictures. It’s directed by Hiroaki Ando and written by Sadayuki Murai and Tetsuya Yamada. While the CGI is the usual Polygon Pictures fare, they are improving upon their use of CGI animation, and boy howdy did they craft a really cool and unusual world. It’s definitely a pro-environmental world due to how everything is set up with this canopy made by giant tree-like entities. Luckily, the characters are likable and compelling enough so far by episode three to give you, the viewer, enough to want to see more past the third episode. Granted, it’s one of those shows that takes three episodes to get the ball rolling, but if you aren’t bothered by that, then you will want to find yourself traversing the snowy seas to see what mysteries are revealed about this world.

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady (Crunchyroll)

Just when you think the isekai genre won’t have something to offer, a show like this comes out of nowhere and makes you remember why the genre can be good. This show is based on the novels by Piero Karasu. The anime adaptation is directed by Shingo Tamaki, written by Wataru Watari, and produced by Diomedea. First off, every other isekai? Take notes on this one. It actually shows you and tells you about its setting, world, and characters without having to resort to big and dense layers of exposition as we learn about the relationship between a princess who can’t use magic in a world where everyone uses magic, and a noble who’s upcoming marriage is broken due to political upheaval and brash decisions made by her ex-fiance. Sure, some parts may or could possibly lean onto more power fantasy aspects of isekais, but with the fact our lead was smart enough to craft something truly original and not just be someone set with a ton of magical powers and no stakes in any fights, it’s a really smart decision made within the story. The one lead makes her own combination of magic and technology to do things that others can do, due to the ability to cast magic. The show is also willing to let the characters be characters, and not just cheap promotional material for the merchandise. It’s also a gorgeous show, due to how much the team and production committee were obviously working on the same level as one another. With its visually splendid animation, complex characters, intriguing world, and killer music, this is easily in the running for one of the best anime of the season and an early contender so far for best isekai of the year. Well, it’s the best one next to another show you will see the impressions of soon.

Other

Sugar Apple Fairy Tale (Crunchyroll)

CW: topics and themes of slavery

Consider this to be one of the more loaded anime of the season that absolutely doesn’t sound like it would be a dark fantasy, but some spin-off of the Strawberry Shortcake franchise. This is based on the novels by Miri Mikawa. The director of this adaptation is Yohei Suzuki, written by Seishi Minakami, and produced by J.C. Staff. By the opening of the show and its cute, well-crafted animation, you think this would be something super, pardon the pun, cloyingly sweet, but it really isn’t. It’s rather impressive how this show is able to balance out its nuanced world with flawed humans. The slavery angle is handled better here than most, which is scary that hey, anime can actually tackle this topic and not be absolutely terrible at it. It’s not perfect though, and some parts can be a touch uncomfortable to watch. Still, the show does a good job of mixing all of the lore, world-building, drama, and character development into a show that will be a bit clunky, but an overall intriguing experience.

Ippon Again! (HiDive)

It wouldn’t be an anime season if we didn’t have a show about a group of girls getting into some kind of sport or hobby. This is based on the manga series by Yu Muraoka. The adaptation is directed by Ken Ogiwara, written by Aya Satsuki, and produced by Bakken Record. It feels surprising to me that, as far as I’m aware, there aren’t that many anime about judo. You think with such a strategic and compelling sport, they would find ways to make it creative, but Ippon Again! It definitely aims for a slice-of-life and coming-of-age story about our characters taking the wheel and forming a judo club in their high school. It does the right thing and focuses on the drive our characters have for the sport and for their growing friendship to go the distance to win the nationals in judo. The animation itself looks good, but can be a bit clunky here and there. Otherwise, it’s nice to start the year with a really charming and good sports anime, which isn’t always a given every year.

Revenger (Crunchyroll)

This season has been chock full of original anime this season, and this is one of them. It’s produced by Ajia-do Animation Works, but is directed by Masaya Fujimori, and written by Renji Oki and famous writer Gen Urobochi. The adventure we set off on with this one has a real solid hook to it about an ex-samurai who is being chased by the government for murdering an important figure. He joins up with a group of hitmen who take down corrupt individuals and while it might not be the most original show in a lot of ways, it all comes down to execution. With its focus on the inner politics of our leads, the world around them is kept interesting and the action is well animated and the characters have a certain charm to them. As long as they can keep it in the same ballpark of being able to combine both a compelling narrative and action, then it can very much be one of winter’s best shows.

Buddy Daddies (Crunchyroll)

Let’s get this out of the way first, this isn’t a rip-off or clone of Spy X Family. It is able to stand on its own. This is an original anime that is produced at one of the best animation studios right now, P.A. Works. It’s directed by Yoshiyuki Asai and written by Vio Shimokura and Yuko Kakihara. Yeah, the premise can sound similar to Spy X Family, due to how it’s an action comedy with a found family hook of two assassins who live under one roof who accidently encounter a little girl who may or may not be the daughter of one of the two hitmen. What it does do well is accomplish some high-octane action mixed with some very goofy hitmen who have to deal with 2023’s first extremely adorable kid character of the year. It doesn’t just rest on the dynamic of two dangerous individuals taking care of a super child-like, well, child. It does give everyone rather depressing backstories and how even though they are fairly different from one another, they all come together cohesively as a family. It has P.A. Works stellar animation, some sweet comedic timing, and touching moments that make this show a great alternative while we wait for Spy X Family Season 2.

Campfire Cooking in Another World With My Absurd Skill (Crunchyroll)

It’s always nice to be happy when a show you are looking forward to is actually really good and just a blast to watch for three episodes. This is based on the light novel series by Ren Eguchi. It’s directed by Kiyoshi Matsuda, written by Michiko Yotoke, and produced by MAPPA. While most isekais struggle to try and copy, rip off, or be the next Sword Art Online or ReZero, here comes this delightfully unique take on the isekai genre where the lead, in fact, doesn’t want to save the world. Instead, with his superpower of being able to order groceries from his world to the fantasy world, has gained a powerful wolf-like deity who makes a pact with our lead, not because he’s the chosen one, but because he can cook delicious food. It’s a show with a light-hearted sense of humor and some really hilarious set pieces and punchlines with how they keep the story fun and worth investing time into. They even find ways to add in a little dark comedy and quandaries of how they eat certain creatures or even if they can, that adds so much flavor and spice to the overall journey. It’s such a breath of fresh air alongside the other amazing isekai of the season that it’s frankly insulting that this show, Faraway Paladin, The Saint’s Magic is Omnipotent and The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess, and Genius Young Lady aren’t the guides to how to make proper modern isekai series. Take a good hook, add a well-written script and cast of loveable leads, and a splash of splendid animation, and you have a recipe for success. It’s easily my favorite anime of the season and one I can recommend to anyone.

Thank you all for checking out my impressions, and if I had to pick my favorite anime of the season to check out, I would watch in no particular order…

Anime Recommendations of Winter 2023: Revenger, Buddy Daddies, Campfire Cooking in Another World with my Absurd Skill, Sugar Apple Fairy Tale, Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, Ippon Again, Endo & Kobayashi Live, Giant Beast of Ars, Tomo Chan is a Girl, and Trigun Stampede.

THE WINTER 2023 ANIME SEASON. THE WINTER 2023 ANIME SEASON NEVER CHANGES PART 1

February 5, 2023February 6, 2023 camseyeview Editorials, Lists Akira Oguro, anime, Asahi Productions, Ayakashi Triangle, Cloud Hearts, Connect, Crunchyroll, Endo & Kobayashi Live: The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte, Feel, Fumihiro Yoshimura, Fumita Yanagida, Geek Toys, Giant Beast of Ars, Handyman Saitou in Another World, Hayaken, HiDive, Hitoshi Nanba, Itsuki Imazaki, Kazuomi Koga, Kazutomo Ichitomo, Keiichiro Kawaguchi, Keiichiro Ochi, Kenji Muto, Kenta Ihara, Kentaro Yabuki, Kiichi Kosuzu, Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible, Lay-Duce, Liber, Lihua Wang, Mankyu, Masahiro Takata, Megumi Shimizu, Michiko Yokote, Mitsutaka Hirota, Miyuki Tonogawa, Nana Mikoshiba, Naoyuki Kuzuya, Nekotofu, Nene Yukimori, Ningen Fushin: Adventuers Who Don't Believe in Humanity Will Save the World, Nobuyoshi Nagayama, Noriaki Akitaya, Norimitsu Kaiho, Ominai: I'm Now Your Sister, Pine jam, Project No. 9, Project No.9, Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire, Ryosuke Shibuya, Saeikisan, Sentai Filmworks, Seven, Shin Okashima, Shingo Fujii, Shinichi Inotsume, Shinta Fuji, Shogo Yasukawa, Spy Classroom, Studio Bind, Studio Blanc, Studio C2C, Studio Comet, Studio Orange, Suzu Enoshima, Takemachi, Tasuro Inamoto, Tezuka Productions, The Angel Next Door Spoils me Rotten, The Ice Blade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World, The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague, The Reincarnation of the Strongest Exorcist in Another World, Tomo Chan IS a Girl, Tomoko Konparu, Toshiyuki Kubooka, Touko Machida, Trigun, Trigun Stampede, Winter 2023 Anime Season, Winter 2023 Anime Season Impressions, Yasuhiro Nightow, Yokohama Animation Laboratory, Yoshihisa Ueda, Yuya Takahashi, Zero-G

Well, it’s time to talk about the Winter Anime Season…again. Honestly, Winter 2023 is kind of a mix of both Winter 2021 and Winter 2022 in terms of quality. There are a lot of really solid titles mixed with a ton of mediocre and trashy anime. It would be more shocking if there were more good, or more worrying if many of them were mediocre. Since I don’t make these until I’ve seen every anime up to at least three episodes or more, it lets me find time to really break down what to take away from them. You really can’t tell if the first episode will be stellar or not. It’s just whether it’s a good first impression or not. Sure, some are going to be just good from the get-go, but that isn’t always the case. A good opening hook can only go so far. Now then, let’s get started.

COMEDY/ROMANCE

Onimai: I’m Now Your Sister (Crunchyroll)

Content Warning: Lolicon and underaged fanservice

Listen, it’s okay to not adapt certain stories to anime. Especially when it’s from a studio with obvious talent in its animation department. This is based on the manga by Nekotofu. It’s directed by Shingo Fujii, written by Michiko Yotoke, and produced at Studio Bind. Even with all of the faults of this studio’s other show, Jobless Reincarnation, I can at least see why people like that show. It also doesn’t hurt that Studio Bind has some amazing animators and a production pipeline to make it that way. So, why on earth would they pick a project like this when it’s such underage creepy nonsense? Yeah, it’s basically a slice-of-life comedy lolicon show, and if it was just about a brother and sister reconnecting as siblings, then that would be stellar. You can make shows about people reconnecting, but when the brother in this show is forced against his will to be turned into a middle school-aged girl by his intelligent sister, then the problems only start building up from there. You can see when the show is trying to be sweet and sentimental, but when it has to clash with the fanservice and how a lot of the fanservice is drawn to teenagers looking as lewd as possible, I hate it. I can see where more of the positive reviews are coming from, and I disagree with a lot of them, but I can safely say this one isn’t for me. The show just isn’t good, and hopefully, one day, Studio Bind will make something that won’t make you feel like jumping out of your skin or force you to sit through terrible nonsense to get to the few scraps of good story beats.

The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten (Crunchyroll)

You know, romance doesn’t have to be boring. You wonder if the original author or the people working on the anime knew that or not. This is based on the light novel series by Saeikisan. The anime is directed by Lihua Wang, written by Keiichiro Ochi, and produced by Project No. 9. This show is just nothing. It’s harmless nothing, but it’s just nothing. I get there is supposed to be a budding romance between our two leads who happen to live next to one another and such, but with its flat and soulless animation, and the fact the build-up to whether they will get together or not is not handled well, it makes for a really dull sit. If there is a lo-fi anime romcom this season people are gonna watch, it won’t be this one. There are two that are worth watching more than this one.

Tomo Chan IS a Girl (Crunchyroll)

It feels good to be more positive from this point on with this category. This is based on the popular manga by Fumita Yanagida. The anime is adapted by Hitoshi Nanba, written by Megumi Shimizu, and produced by Lay-Duce. While on the surface, it’s another ‘boy and girl can’t find the right way to confess to one another’ story, it helps that they go a different direction for the characters. It is annoying that the show sometimes wants to tell a tomboy to be more feminine when the problem isn’t’ that she’s too “masculine”,but it’s also the fact the two don’t have the proper brain cells and social interactive skills to actually know how to confess to one another. Doesn’t help either that the secondary cast members that get thrown into the equation cause chaos with their silly antics for the two love birds. I do wish the animation was better to make the comedy hit harder, but it looks fine, and I can see why people adore this one. I just don’t think I vibe with it as much as others do, and I feel badly about that. Oh well, not everyone is going to like every popular show and popular movie, and that’s alright. Just don’t be malicious about it. Anyway, Tomo Chan IS a Girl is adorable goofy fun with some clunky animation.

Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible (HiDive)

This is a very cute and silly show. It is based on the manga by Nene Yukimori. The anime adaptation is directed by Kazuomi Koga, written by Yuya Takahashi, and produced by Pine Jam. Alongside Pine Jam’s great expressive animation that they obviously carried over from their work on Do It Yourself, the manga’s simplistic, but emotive art style brings life to another show that may or may not be aping off of the Komi Can’t Communicate bandwagon. Recently, we have been getting many creative ways to tackle social anxiety and feeling invisible in a world where all we do is socialize. It helps here that our two leads are the cutest together anytime they are on screen, which is all of the time. They do enough with the premise to make every sequence refreshing and full of laughs. The chemistry is delightful, and while the romance isn’t fully convincing, if you are looking for a solid cute time, then give this one a watch.

The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague (Crunchyroll)

It shouldn’t feel so refreshing that an anime has young adult leads for the show to focus on, but we are in that situation here. This is based on the manga by Miyuki Tonogawa. It was directed by Mankyu, written by Tomoko Konparu, and produced by Zero-G and Liber. Once again, it feels refreshing that we have a workplace drama/romcom with a fantastical twist to how certain workers are descendants of mystical beings, and how they weave in those parts are not so upfront, and can be used in very literal and metaphorical ways. It’s really sweet and how it gets creative with said mystical powers show off different sides of our male lead. Luckily, the other characters are just as fun and likable to be around. The only downside is I don’t find the romance all that compelling, but I do like their chemistry. With a very low-key atmosphere and a lo-fi bop of an opening, there is a lot to enjoy and find appealing with this show.

Endo and Kobayashi Live: The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte (HiDive)

It’s always refreshing when you get a truly distinct and original take on a certain type of anime series that, no matter any of the faults, you commend it for actually doing something different. This is based on the novels by Suzu Enoshima. The anime is directed by Fumihiro Yoshimura, written by Tomoko Konparu, and produced by Tezuka Productions. So, what do you get when you take a typical Otome game setting, but combine it with elements of Let’s Plays and God simulation games? This is that anime. It’s amazing that I have yet to see something this creative and how it not only has great jokes, great characters, and a banger premise, but it also pulls back from the premise to let the characters grow. You care about both the human players and the in-game characters. This was just a really pleasant surprise and I’m all for creatives tackling and taking different spins at anime that could really use a shot in the arm.

ACTION

The Ice Blade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World (Crunchyroll)

Anime is just getting worse and worse in some regards with shows like this. This is based on the novel series by Nana Mikoshiba. It’s directed and written by Masahiro Takata and produced by Cloud Hearts and Yokohama Animation Laboratory. Maybe if the anime/manga/light novel industry wasn’t so hellbent on pushing everything out at a record pace for maximum profit, maybe, just maybe, we could get shows that are more interesting than this generic hodgepodge of fantasy action elements. You’ve got the school setting, you’ve got the quirky clubs and side characters, you’ve got the power fantasy, you’ve got a basic mystery plot of who our lead actually is and who the big threats might be. All it needed to do was actually either commit to something or stop trying to appeal to every single anime-goer, because when you try to appeal to everyone, then you appeal to no one. It takes a darn good team and creative to come up with something that hits all the right notes for everyone, and sadly, this sure isn’t it. I like some aspects of the show, but due to its lackluster production/visuals, some uncomfortable baiting of multiple types, and no real identity to call its own, this fantasy action show feels like an isekai, but without the isekai aspect, and without the progress of making something compelling. Also, don’t undercut the female characters you are trying to make viewers care about by making them look like lingerie models during the end credits. Makes ya wonder if they see the female characters as characters and not objects.

Spy Classroom (HiDive)

Well, at least there is something that could have been with this show. This is based on the novels by Takemachi. It’s directed by Keiichiro Kawaguchi, written by Shinichi Inotsume, and produced by Feel. We have a few anime this season that are all about a group of underdog characters who need to prove themselves, and in this case, a bunch of spy academy rejects who team up with a shady leader who trains them to be the best spies they can be. It has the spy espionage post-WW1 setting going for it, but that’s about it. Didn’t really find myself gravitating towards the story or the characters by episode three, and the plot for the first three episodes feels stretched out. There wasn’t much there, and they needed to pad out three episodes. Not that there weren’t any scenes of growth for the characters, but the characters are forgettable and that’s not a good thing due to how many there are of them. They also look more like characters you should see as anime statues than anything else. The decent action and some mystery about the world don’t really keep me wanting to come back for every new episode. Those are the breaks at times. Just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Ayakashi Triangle (Crunchyroll)

Talk about a tonal and messy situation of trying to make this premise work. This is based on the manga by Kentaro Yabuki of Black Cat and To Love Ru (which he illustrated) fame. It’s directed by Noriaki Akitaya, written by Shogo Yasukawa, and produced by Connect. Listen, it’s ambitious and admirable that a property would love to tackle gender identity with its premises. Gender swap and identity stories are commonplace in anime. It’s not like this is breaking any new taboos or boundaries. It can work and it has happened before. Too bad it’s trying to be a million things at once. It wants to be a shonen action show, it wants to be a yuri bait show, it wants to be an ecchi fanservice show, it wants to be a comedy, it wants to tackle romance through the gender spectrum, and it wants to do all of this at once when it’s not really good at being any of it. It’s too serious to be funny, too comedy driven to be serious, too horny to be low-key, and the romance angle is shot by the fact the show wants to tackle the two lead’s romance, but also be arousing to the viewer. It’s at least trying to be more than it is, but there are simply too many gender-bent anime out there to spend time on one that is not interested in being truly great, or at least great in the non-fanservice department. You can obviously tell where the budget went into this show despite having a slightly higher-than-usual polished look. Who knows what will happen to the show, since it’s one of the few anime this season getting delayed due to the lingering pandemic. Maybe it will get better, but from the four episodes that are out, it hasn’t been impressive.

The Reincarnation of the Strongest Exorcist in Another World (Crunchyroll)

Can anime actually commit to the bit for once? A lot of anime these days seem unable to commit to the bit. Anyway, this mediocre isekai is based on the novels by Kiichi Kosuzu. The show is directed by Nobuyoshi Nagayama & Ryosuke Shibuya, written by Touko Machida, and produced by Studio Blanc. The one major hook the show has going for it to try and be more interesting than other isekai power fantasies, is how our lead is reborn not just from a different life, but a different region from his home in Japan’s past to a more European location. It results in him having an entirely different magic system that he uses from the rest of the world in which he has been reborn. It should have led to some pretty interesting world-building moments and political intrigue from everyone else in this show’s universe about how this one kid can wield powerful magic, but somehow not be born with the power. Sadly, it boils down to every power fantasy. The lead is stronger than everyone else, some characters hate him in a deeply absurd way, and the lead makes two female friends be the forearm candy to the lead. After watching so many anime buck the natural trend of most power fantasy isekai, you think that would mean everyone else would try harder, and who knows, this could be a bad translation of the source material. It sure as heck feels like it’s rushing to get to certain story beats faster. Anime fans tend to take what they can get even when better stuff is already available to the viewer. Oh well. I liked the demon entities that the lead has in his control, but that’s about it.

Ningen Fushin: Adventurers Who Don’t Believe in Humanity Will Save the World (Crunchyroll)

I really hate when I feel like I’m going to like a show because of its premise, and then watch the said show and feel underwhelmed by it. This is based on the novels and manga by Shinta Fuji. The series is adapted to animated form by director and writer Itsuki Imazaki and is produced by Geek Toys and Seven. There is a real solid idea of a bunch of adventurers who were rejected by the masses forming their own party to go on adventures and save the land. Heck, there are even comedy versions of this idea with anime like Konosuba. Where this show lacks though is in the execution department. The reasons why these adventurers got rejected by society are absurd and petty, ranging from people not liking the mage for being stronger, an adventuring party thinking they didn’t need their rogue, and one badly handled case of being falsely accused of being a pest. Yeah, this anime wants you to feel for these underdogs, and you as a viewer definitely want to see them grow through the ranks and show the world they weren’t disposable beings, but the way it all unfolds is clunky at best. The dragon girl is probably the best character, which is a shame since she isn’t the lead. They also do that thing where it’s not fully a fantasy world and have things like idols, but then they don’t modernize any other element of the world around them. It’s aggravating since you can see the idea there, and like usual, it could be a bad adaptation, but the anime doesn’t really make me want to buy the manga. I might watch a bit more to see the introduction of another character, but it won’t be high on my priority.

Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire (Crunchyroll)

Sometimes, being simply well-made and executing its premise enough with some solid action is all that you need with your isekais to be tolerable and entertaining. This is based on the novel series by Hayaken. The anime is produced by Studio Comet, written by Mitsutaka Hirota, and directed by Naoyuki Kuzuya. What it lacks in polished animation, wanting to fast forward through so much of the story’s plot to get to the leads being older, and trying to horn up the female leads to a very distracting degree that almost cripples the entire show, it does execute its premise better than most isekais. It has solid if clunky political thriller aspects. The story of a king being reincarnated to follow his past goals of becoming a knight are a good-enough twist on the formula, the characters are fairly likable, and the action is obviously where the money was spent the most. If it just didn’t have so much anime nonsense under its belt, it would probably be one of my favorites, but due to how many other isekai or isekai adjacent animate are out this season and do its premise better, it falls short, but it wouldn’t be the worst show to come back to after the three episode rule.

Giant Beast of Ars (HiDive)

This feels like an anime that’s based on a RPG, but without the terrible production issues of being based on a video game that usually plagues these series. It’s an original anime that’s directed by Akira Oguro, written by Norimitsu Kaiho, and produced at Asahi Productions. While it has some similar elements like humanity fighting against giant beasts and creatures, the world they crafted in the span of three episodes is full of life, personality, and intrigue., That isn’t always a given with original anime, and the action is rock solid as well. It definitely gives you a hook and a reason to keep watching, and it shouldn’t feel refreshing that this show feels like a show and not a marketing tool, but it feels great to watch this and not feel the creeping hands of merchandising yet touch this one. Granted, it’s there, but it never pulls you out of the experience like most anime do.

Handyman Saitou in Another World (Crunchyroll)

Nothing quite like finding an isekai that is actually distinct and not really an isekai in the traditional sense. This quirk fantasy/isekai/comedy is based on the manga by Kazutomo Ichitomo. It’s directed by Toshiyuki Kubooka, written by Kenta Ihara, and produced by C2C. Honestly, I went into this show blind. The fun idea of a handyman getting sent to a fantasy world isn’t really an isekai. When you think of isekai, it usually boils down to boring mediocre power fantasies aimed at a male demographic, but here, it’s not really any of that. Saitou is basically a rogue/thief who just happens to have his tool kit with him, and the show isn’t really all that interested in telling a story. There is a plot and progression of character arcs and such, but it’s honestly more interested in gags and skits that take place in this fantasy world than telling a grand story. Of course, being a comedy, the comedy can be hit-and-miss, but when it hits, boy do the jokes land. The characters are fairly simplistic, but they have their own depth to them that makes them fun characters to follow. However, sometimes it feels like they had an idea for a joke and it either didn’t translate well or has some missing context to western viewers or just ends with no real punchline. It’s a creative show that’s more along the lines of Cromartie High School and Azumanga Daioh than your typical isekai fare, and I think that’s admirable, to say the least.

Trigun Stampede (Crunchyroll)

It’s amazing that people ever doubted this incredible studio with what they were going to craft with this new take on the franchise. This is based on the manga and classic anime by Yasuhiro Nightow. This new take is directed by Kenji Muto, written by Tasuro Inamoto, Shin Okashima, and Yoshihisa Ueda, and produced by the best CGI studio in the anime industry, Studio Orange. Yes, the original anime is a classic and should be watched by everyone, but it’s been almost three decades, and it’s okay for people to try a new take on the franchise, because unlike a lot of remakes or reboots of certain franchises, this one is actually good. First off, you get the amazing and perfect CGI animation by Studio Orange combined with the creative western/Mad Max world that the characters live in, and lovable characters. There are some aspects that I wish they didn’t change, but so far, unless this adaptation goes off the rails like the Promised Neverland adaptation, Trigun Stampede is one of the best anime of the Winter 2023 season. Also, the dub is killer with the return of Johnny Yong Bosch as the titular Vash. It’s a great show from beginning to end so far and I don’t care if the mystery from the original isn’t there.

My Favorite Animated Films from 2021

January 12, 2023January 12, 2023 camseyeview Lists 2D animation, Belle, Calamity, CGI animation, cgi film, Crunchyroll, Disney, Encanto, Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko, Funimation, GKIDS, Josee The Tiger and The Fish, Netflix, Netflix Animation, Poupelle of Chimney Town, Sony Pictures Animation, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Studio 4c, Studio Bones, Studio Chizu, The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily, The Mitchells vs The Machines, The Summit of the Gods, Words That Bubble Up Like Soda Pop, Worst to Best Animated Films of 2021

Now then, the original plan was to do a list for My Most Disappointed Animated Films of 2021, My Runner-Ups for Best Animated Films of 2021, and My Favorite Animated Films of 2021, but we will just cut it down to My Favorites, due to how it’s a new year, I am so far behind, and I want to get this list done. I’ll try to do more of these varied lists for 2022. I hope you understand, and if you want to see the entire list of films, here is a hyperlink to my Letterboxd list. Let’s get some honorable mentions out of the way!

Honorable Mentions: Luca, New Gods: Nezha Reborn, Seal Team, Josep, Raya and The Last Dragon, and Flee.

Now then, let’s get started so we can talk about 2022’s films next!

10. Fortune Favors Lady Nikkuko

I know some people weren’t happy with this film due to how it wasn’t a big ambitious follow-up to Watanabe’s previous film with Children of the Sea, but this coming-of-age dramedy about a mother and her daughter in a small sea-side town, finding connection with not just life and the people around them, but each other is a charming experience. It might not feel as grand on the big screen, but it sure looked nice up with Studio 4C’s amazing animation and Watanabe’s detailed directing of a fairly offbeat kind of story. It has its moments where the jokes fall flat, but the heart is in the right place.

9. Poupelle of Chimney Town

CGI animation in Japan, whether its use is in anime series or films, has evolved. That they can now craft a vibrant and distinct dieselpunk world in this film shows that the medium of CGI animation is still evolving. The medium is used to tell a rather sweet coming-of-age tale about a boy and his friendship with a mysterious robot in a capitalist and smoke-covered world. It might be a little clunky at some points, but it’s a fun little story that is visually distinct and a thrill to see from beginning to end for film lovers of all ages.

8. Calamity

It’s a real shame this got such a small US release and one that was so barebones. It’s a crime it only has a digital-only release with no extras or an English dub for people who prefer a dub over subtitles. The director of Long Way North’s follow-up is a rip-roaring western adventure with some beautiful visuals that really show the western landscape throughout every scene with some of the best character development of any animated film from 2021.

7. The Bears Famous Invasion of Sicily

Do you know what else is a crime? This gorgeous and incredible animated film still doesn’t have a proper US release for some unknown reason, when it’s one of the most visually stunning features in animation. You could literally frame every frame as a painting and get something out of it due to this film’s striking use of CGI and 2D animation. It definitely uses emotional and fairytale logic to tell its story and presents its themes of colonialism, greed, and discrimination to the audience, but not every film needs to be logical to be enjoyable, and it’s more of a crime that a company like GKIDS has yet to pick this film up.

6. Words That Bubble Up Like Soda Pop

People worry too much about creativity and originality in storytelling, and are willing to overlook films that are just straight-up rock solid and charming as all get out. It’s a bit of a bummer this film is stuck on Netflix, but the fact they brought over this adorable rom-com between two teens who feel like outcasts due to one thing or another is also a runner-up in 2021’s most visually stunning animation seen on screen. Sometimes, all you need is a well-executed experience in storytelling that will carry you through to the end credits.

5. Encanto

It sure does feel like it has been a hot minute since Disney had a huge worldwide hit animated feature since 2016, right? While the film might be entering its backlash phase due to how it was always in the public eye since its November release on Disney+, there is a reason why this film became beloved due to its soundtrack and its focus on familial drama instead of your typical Disney good vs evil formula. Sure, the music might have some of the typical aspects of Lin Manuel Miranda’s music-writing quirks, and I get why people felt divided by its ending, but I give Disney kudos that they want to make animated films that deal with topics that were not seen in a lot of US animated fare. Granted, by now, we have had a few, and we could use some shaking up, but the fact is that Encanto is still a fun charming musical adventure that was a refreshing take after a couple of years of making non-stop sequels.

4. The Summit of the Gods

This film that Netflix sadly buried on their service was a beautiful journey of human ambition and what you are willing to sacrifice to reach your goals. When people want more “adult” animation, it’s not more stuff like Paradise PD, but stuff that tells a story that you don’t normally see in animation, which shows what you can do with the incredible medium of animation. With stunning landscapes, interesting characters, and some of the best animation from 2021, The Summit of the Gods is a film that sadly should have had more people watching it.

3. Josee, The Tiger, and The Fish

With the current trend of every film needing to be big and bombastic in the tentpole area of the film-going experience, it’s always good to remember that story, writing, and character are more important than big flash visual effect shots. This is a coming-of-age story about dealing with the trials and tribulations of life and overcoming hardship and challenge, all wrapped up in a very nice romcom setting with some of Studio Bones’ most visually lush animation that has ever come from one of the top-tier animation houses in Japan. It might have a few story beats that are predictable, but the overall journey is important, and if I enjoyed it from start to finish on a consistent basis, then it did its job.

2. The Mitchells vs. The Machines

Honestly, these next two could basically tie for first place, as Sony Pictures Animation somehow raised the bar in stylized animation with a quirky family dramedy about the disconnect between a father dealing with his daughter moving out for college that just happens to line up with a robot apocalypse. With some of 2021’s most stylized visuals, there was a reason why this film took the world, Netflix, and animation fans by storm with its complex and intensely hilarious themes and comedy. Just a delight from start to finish, but if we had to pick a film that could beat it by the slimmest of margins, it would be…

1. Belle

I know some people find this film too overly ambitious and unfocused, with its combination of a coming-of-age story, a musical, a drama, a romance, and commentary about the social media age which is what we are dealing with in this day and age, but you know what, the emotional throughline of a girl dealing with the loss of her mom and becoming a stronger individual really pulls it all together. With jaw-dropping visuals, bombastic and powerful musical numbers, and some of the best storytelling from the director himself, there is a reason why this film beat out The Mitchells vs. The Machines by the slimmest of margins.

Chainsawing Through the Fall 2022 Anime Season

December 24, 2022December 24, 2022 camseyeview Editorials, Lists Aki Hamaji, Akiba Maid Wars, anime, Atsushi Nigorikawa, Aya Satsuki, Beast Tamer, Bibliophile Princess, Blue Lock, Bocchi The Rock, Chainsaw Man, Chizuru Miyawaki, CloverWorks, Crunchyroll, Daisuke Aizawa, David Production, Do It Yourself, Eight Bit, EMT Square, ENGI, Erika Yoshida, Fall 2022 Anime Season, Fall 2022 Anime Season Impressions, Gundam, Hideya Takahashi, Hideyo Yamamoto, HiDive, Hiroshi Ikehata, Hiroshi Kobayashi, Hiroshi Seko, I Somehow Became Stronger By Raising Farming-Related Skills, I'm The Villainess So I'm Taming the Final Boss, Ichiro Okouchi, Japanese Animation, Junichi Yamamoto, Kadokawa Pictures, Kanichi Katou, Kazuhiro Yoneda, Kazuya Nakanishi, Kazuyuki Fudeyasu, Kei Shimobayashi, Keiichiro Saito, Kenta Ihara, Koko Shirakawa, Kumihiko Habara, Liden Films, Love Flops, Madoka Kashihara, Maho Films, Makoto Hoshino, Management of a Novice Alchemist, Megumi Shimizu, Minato Takano, Mitsutaka Hirota, Mizuho Itsuki, Mobile Suit Gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury, More Than a Married Couple But Not Lovers, Muneyuki Kaneshiro, Namco Bandai Pictures, Naruhisa Arakawa, Nasato Nakazono, Nexus, Nobuyoshi Nagayama, Norihiko Nagahama, P.A. Works, Passione, Pine jam, Raven of the Inner Palace, Reincarnated as a Sword, Rumiko Takahashi, Ryo Ando, Ryo Yasumoto, Ryu Nakayama, Sarasa Nagase, Satomi Ooshima, Shigeru Murakoshi, SHinji Ishihara, Shinobi no Ittoki, Shobonnu, Shunsuke Ishikawa, Shuu Watanabe, Soichi Masui, Studio A-Cat, Studio C2C, Studio ENGI, Studio Flad, Studio Madhouse, Studio MAPPA, Studio Mother, Sunrise, Sunrise Beyond, Suzu Miyama, Takahiro Kamei, Takahiro Nagano, Takao Kato, Takashi Aoshima, Taku Kishimoto, Taro Iwasaki, Tatsuki Fujimoto, Tesunaki Watanabe, The Eminence in Shadow, The Little Lies We All Tell, TNSK, Touko Machida, Troyca, Urusei Yatsura, Yasuhiro Kimura, Yoshihiro Hiki, Yuho Togashi, Yui, Yuki Kanamura, Yuko Kakihara, Yusuke Nomura, Yuu Tanaka

The fall 2022 season was a pleasant upgrade over Summer 2022’s anime season. It doesn’t reach all of the same heights as Fall 2021, but with its cast of new and returning anime, it still unleashes to the anime-loving audience a batch of amazing shows. Sure, some were bound to be new classics like Chainsaw Man, but there are other great shows this season and with Winter 2023 around the corner, let’s drop some impressions of a pretty solid season of anime.

COMEDY

Love Flops (HiDive)

(CW: assault and harassment jokes in the first episode)

One of the few original properties this season by Kadokawa Pictures. It’s produced by Passione, directed by Nobuyoshi Nagayama, and written by Ryo Yasumoto. Consider this one of the most middling mediocre harem anime to ever exist. Probably one of the worst anime of 2022 as well with the fact that the five girls and one woman who are fawning over this teenager, have no reason to fall for him. The way they are introduced to one another is laughably terrible and conceived, and the second episode’s reason behind them falling for him is yet another take on the vibe that they want anime viewers to start getting married and make kids. If it didn’t have Passione’s higher-than-usual production values, this anime would have fallen flat due to one-note love interests, and how it’s mostly interested in being male-wish fantasy nonsense. You all know you can not watch bad anime because it has cute anime girls right? You can go to other anime for cute anime girls that have more substance and personality to them. Heck, this season is full of them. You can do so much better than this one. Oh, and it dares to have a twist and become super meta when it doesn’t earn it or deserve it.

The Little Lies We All Tell (Crunchyroll)

Man, it must be tough to be a comedy/gag anime that comes out the same season as Pop Team Epic’s triumphant return. This show is based on the manga by Madoka Kashihara. It’s directed by Makoto Hoshino, written by Megumi Shimizu, and produced by Studio Flad. The marketing for this show is weird. One poster and the title make it sound like it’s going to be some dark teen drama, but it’s a gag anime. It feels like it was put together by random or thrown-out ideas, and it is at least trying to be absurd and have that same high energy take as classics of the subgenre, but it never quite feels as cohesive or as absurd as others. It’s trying, and it has a laugh here and there, but it’s never as consistent as other shows like Cromartie High or Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle. The four, well, three girls and one cross-dressing boy who was forced to go to the school all have something to hide, and the different gimmicks never feel like they mesh. It’s a weird show, because I personally don’t think it’s good, but I can see someone vibing with this show. It needed to have a bit more balance or focus on making the characters have actual personalities rather than just relying on the gimmick and some tired anime tropes. Still, you can do worse with anime comedies.

Urusei Yatsura (HiDive)

Well, if it’s not broken…. This is based on the influential manga by Rumiko Takahashi. It’s directed by Hideya Takahashi, Yasuhiro Kimura, and Takahiro Kamei, written by Yuko Kakihara, and produced by David Productions. No exaggeration here, this new adaptation of the manga basically kept everything set in the 1970s without changing much outside of a new visual coat of paint. So be prepared to see somewhat tame by today’s standards mean-spirited gag stories with a somewhat overarching plot being weaved into the episodes. It can be loud, absurd, and funny, and whether its more heartfelt moments clash or not with the over-the-top and well-animated comedy, will be up to you. For me, I enjoyed the batch of episodes I have seen so far and it will at least be way better than that Inuyasha follow-up.

More Than a Married Couple, But Not Lovers (Crunchyroll)

I feel so betrayed and frustrated by this show. It’s based on the manga by Yuki Kanamura, directed by Takao Kato and Junichi Yamamoto, written by Naruhisa Arakawa, and produced by Studio Mother. If you don’t hear about the setting this story takes place in, it sounds like a real rock-solid rom-com. Two students who don’t care much for each other team up to actually hook up with the people they want to crush on. Now, if you have seen these romcoms before, you know our two leads are actually gonna fall for each other. The story focuses on their insecurities as individuals and, while it can be a bit horny since it’s anime, the show really does invest a ton of time to progress the story arcs between our leads. What makes this show fall flat is the premise. Our two leads are together because they are in a mandatory school course where they must learn to become good future husbands and wives. Oh, and the dorms the couples stay in, are wired with cameras all over, watching their every step. It’s intensely creepy and it’s maddening because this would be really cool if the premise didn’t sound like some weird conservative wet dream of the ideal school course students should be taking. I know some of the anime made every year will have some underlying political commentary about modern political topics in Japan, but no school should have a mandated “get a grade by being a married couple” course. You could easily have a better setting, because everything else is pretty okay! I wish I could recommend it full-heartedly, but there are better romcoms this year that don’t pull weird settings like this.

I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss (Crunchyroll)

When you watch a terrible anime like Shinobi No Ittoki, coming back to watch a show like this one really shows how good some of the shows this season are. This is based on the novels by Sarasa Nagase. The adaptation is produced by Maho Films, written by Kenta Ihara, and directed by Kumihiko Habara. While we are about to slowly get flooded with isekai titles about characters playing the villain from a popular or just any random otome game, if they can keep differentiating themselves from My Life as a Villainess, then they are good to go. Here, the rom-com plot of our lead trying to propose to the demon lord has resulted in a rather delightful and quirky journey, as we see our lead break the game and shift reality around her beck-and-call and use her knowledge of the original game to her advantage. It focuses on a lot of diverse character interactions, and it’s an adorable show with so many characters being rather lovable. It might have wonky animation and CGI compositing, but this is an otherwise charming show that will warm its way into your heart.

Do It Yourself! (Crunchyroll)

What a wonderful original anime we have this season. It’s directed by Kazuhiro Yoneda, written by Kazuyuki Fudeyashu, and produced by Pine Jam. What’s so delightful about this show is how it works on so many levels. You not only have the fun of seeing an anime about the joy of Do It Yourself projects, but it’s a show about rebuilding and repairing friendships old and new. It’s not just another “cute girls doing cute things” show. It also has a visual style that looks like the result of Cloverworks and Science Saru having a child. Pine Jam has truly crafted a fantastic watercolor visual style and some of the most expressive characters of this season of anime. It’s one of those shows that is a great gateway anime to introduce to newcomers, and it stands out as one of the best this season.

Bocchi The Rock (Crunchyroll)

While Chainsaw Man is probably the most obvious show this season to be popular, it’s nice to see a show like this stellar piece of rock and roll get popular. It’s based on the manga by Aki Hamaji. It’s directed by Keiichiro Saito, written by Erika Yoshida, and produced by CloverWorks. You can basically call this a combination of coming-of-age, music, and extreme cases of social anxiety. The journey of our nervous wreck of a lead character to join a blossoming band and to expand upon her social skills is one of Fall 2022’s biggest surprises. It also has some of the most expressive and vibrant animation seen all year. Not a big shock from CloverWorks, but just in general. It’s some of the most interesting visuals you will find in a year full of anime with distinct visuals. It’s also really funny and crushingly accurate as to how they capture social anxiety, and how it can feel for some people in certain situations. Just a splendid anime around, and it’s no wonder why it has become one of the fan-favorite anime of the season.

ACTION/ADVENTURE

Shinobi no Ittoki (Crunchyroll)

Well, at least it’s trying to do more than most middling ninja anime. This is another original anime of the season that’s directed by Shuu Watanabe, written by Minato Takano, and produced by Troyca. This show has an odd balance of tones. On one hand, the story of a boy who’s suddenly forced into being trained in order to run an entire clan of ninjas is understandably compelling, but lordy, is this some of the worst written dialogue and storytelling I have seen all year. Yeah, let’s follow this one character who was never told until he was in high school about his ninja ancestry, never train him, and then throw him into a school full of other ninja clans that want him dead and not give him at the very least a rundown or heads up of who to avoid or what to know. This show wants to be this thrilling ninja story and it isn’t just due to how the characters are terribly written, and what could be interesting or fun with the rather solid action animation, is dead weight and stuck with a story that’s not fun to sit through. Just a really boring and unbearable series. It’s not a bad show because it’s poorly animated or problematic. It’s a bad show because at no point is it thrilling, at no point is the story compelling or giving you a reason to root for its characters. It has story beats that happen that aren’t earned, and it’s a sign of how bad certain original anime can be.

The Eminence in Shadow (HiDive)

(CW: Sexual Assault in the first episode)

What is with anime productions that want to botch their first impressions with anime-only first episodes? I swear these production committees never learn. This is based on the novels by Daisuke Aizawa. It’s directed by Kazuya Nakanishi, written by Kanichi Katou, and produced by Nexus. So, this show is weird, because the first episode is an anime-only story that sets itself up as an edgy power fantasy show, but when you watch past episode 1, it feels like it’s supposed to be a parody, or it’s goofing on the tropes and story beats of mediocre isekai. I would normally be all for that with how they crafted certain moments from the episodes I watched, but after a bit, I felt like I fell off on whether this was supposed to be a parody or they were just being very tongue-and-cheek with it when it comes off like every other power fantasy anime that comes out every year. I guess at least it has a sense of personality with how it’s trying to lay out its jokes, but I couldn’t personally vibe with this one. I get why a lot of people do, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Chainsaw Man (Crunchyroll)

I mean, we all knew this was going to be one of, if not the best new show of the Fall 2022 season right? It’s based on the hit manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto that has taken the manga world by storm. The anime adaptation is obviously produced by MAPPA, it’s written by Hiroshi Seko, and directed by the duo of Ryu Nakayama and Nasato Nakazono. This show is just a bit of everything. It has fantastic action, incredible film quality level animation, dark comedy, and it doesn’t just fall back on its popularity or the gore to keep you invested. It has everything an anime fan or a newcomer to anime could want with how it balances everything to pretty much perfectly. There is a reason why this is considered one of the best shows of the year and season. You can’t get any better than this in terms of anime, and hopefully, MAPPA is treating its animators well to craft such an exquisite experience.

FANTASY/ISEKAI

I Somehow Became Stronger By Raising Farming-Related Skills (HiDive)

CW: Episode 2 has a really tasteless male getting assaulted joke.

Is anyone else getting really sick and tired of shows having a solid elevator pitch, but then completely bailing on it for no reason? This show is based on the light novels/manga by Shobonnu. It’s directed by Norihiko Nagahama, written by Touko Machida, and produced by Studio A-Cat. A super-powered farmer in a fantasy world where he doesn’t want to be the hero sounds like it could lead to a really creative comedy about a farmer who just wants to farm. The first episode has the lead character literally throwing a carrot at the speed of light and killing a dragon with it. That’s so funny and yet, the rest of the show is actually not about that. It’s about a farmer who just gets roped up into being a hero because he’s got really good stats. It’s a really boring watch that doesn’t do anything new or really fun with the formula, gets way too dark for a show that isn’t advertised as such, and of course, it will slowly have a colorful cast of female love interests and some non-threatening male friends that don’t get in the way of our lead and his forced-together harem. If it focused less on being just another power fantasy with a harem with really shoddy animation, there could have been something special. Still, alas, it’s another mediocre fantasy anime in a year full of them.

Management of a Novice Alchemist (HiDive)

Well, at least it isn’t boring. This is based on the novels/light novels/manga by Mizuho Itsuki. The show is directed by Hiroshi Ikehata, written by Shigeru Murakoshi, and produced by ENGI. I mean, it’s a “cute girls doing cute things” alchemy/fantasy edition. It doesn’t do anything truly unique outside of focusing on the crafting side than the magic, but it also has to fit in stuff like action and possible romance baiting between the four characters. It’s got a solid visual look with some better-than-usual animation, but it’s mostly just okay. If it looked a bit worse, I would rank it lower, but its aesthetic is what’s saving this run-of-the-mill anime. Not that originality is the end all be all, but after a bit with how much anime is coming out, doing the bare minimum while other shows are hitting it out of the park is going to bite some on the backside in the long run.

Beast Tamer (Crunchyroll)

Some of the toughest anime to give impressions on are shows that are just so committed to being down the middle in terms of quality and story execution. Beast Tamer is kind of that show but with enough charm to it that makes it hard to be hateful or angry towards it. This is based on the novels by Suzu Miyama. The anime adaptation is directed by Atsushi Nigorikawa, written by Takashi Aoshima, and produced by EMT Square. The funny thing about these “I got kicked out of the hero’s party” fantasy anime is that the reason for getting kicked out is so petty, and that might be the intention, but it’s never believably done. What’s more interesting is despite it being what will essentially be a harem anime with multiple cute fantasy girls, the show as of what I have seen, was not interested in fanservice. Or, at least not to a distracting degree where the show halts in its tracks to give you some cheesecake. The main cast has decent chemistry with how our lead is gonna save the day with kindness with his monster-taming skills, but it’s just okay. Nothing super obnoxious, but nothing all that stellar either. It could definitely fill the void of comfort food anime watching, but your tolerance for certain harem tropes will be the deciding point, or if you can truly utterly believe the igniting point of the overall story in the first place.

Raven of the Inner Palace (Crunchyroll)

Well, we have our The Heiki Story anime of the season, and I mean that in the way that we have a period drama that’s really fascinating. It’s based on the light novels by Koko Shirakawa. It’s written by Satomi Ooshima, directed by Chizuru Miyawaki, and produced by Bandai Namco Pictures. It’s a shame the first major story arc is split between two episodes because this is one of the rare few anime that would have been better as a one-hour premiere. It’s really slow to start out and build up the world-building, politics, and supernatural elements with the first episode, and by the second episode, it fully kicks into what the first mystery of the show is. By the third episode, you will be intrigued and compelled to see what the requests the Raven Consort get and how they unfold. It unwraps into a beautiful story of love, loss, and is full of political and royal drama/thriller elements to keep you in this gorgeously prepared world. Doesn’t hurt either that Queen Bee does a fantastic theme song for the show, and if you are down for something a bit different from your typical shonen action romps or the big league titles, then consider giving this one a shot.

Reincarnated as a Sword (HiDive)

This is what happens when you make a familiar, but compelling isekai. This is based on the novels by Yuu Tanaka. It’s directed by Shinji Ishihara, written by Takahiro Nagano, and produced by C2C. While the lead being reincarnated as a sword doesn’t seem like it leads to a very compelling story, it actually stands on its own as one of the better isekai this year. The sword’s interaction with our cat girl lead that so far, the anime has tried to avoid sexualizing, is nice since anime is so bad at not making young characters look lewd. I get ya want to sell merchandise, but instead of doing most anime nonsense, the show does focus on the growing bond between our leads and it makes for a more pleasant experience when you are able to enjoy the show without so much nonsense getting in the way. With a fun premise, great animation, and well-executed action, Reincarnated as a Sword was a pleasant surprise in a year full of mediocre isekais.

OTHER

My Master Has no Tail (HiDive)

This was a sweet little title. It’s based on the manga by TNSK. The anime adaptation is produced by Liden Films, written by Touko Machida, Kei Shimobayashi, Aya Satsuki, and Yuho Togashi, and directed by Hideyo Yamamoto. What starts off as a cute little fantastical take on a period piece where our little tanuki lead goes into the human world to see what is going on, turns into a friendship drama about her wanting to work under a storyteller’s wing in a changing world. No longer can a tanuki thrive in a world with carriages, cars, and at the time, modern devices. It’s a show that tackles themes of dealing with the fear of the unknown in an ever-changing world, respecting the past, and finding that ambition to push through the tides of change. It’s well-animated, the characters are likable, and while there may be some cultural barriers that will get lost in translation, the show is easy to follow and only has a little bit of that anime nonsense that hampers it from time to time.

Bibliophile Princess (HiDive)

This is where I wish this had a dub, due to how talkative it is. This is based on the light novels by Yui. This period piece drama/romance is directed by Taro Iwasaki, written by Mitsutaka Hirota, and produced by Madhouse. Listen, this show’s first episode is really slow, and you will only get the crumbs of what the drive of this show will be between a lovely prince and a bookish princess. Luckily, by the second and third episodes, the chemistry blossoms into a rather lovely romance with some gorgeous visuals. This is one of the few light novels where it’s not just an edgy male power fantasy isekai nonsense. Granted, even though I have watched plenty of episodes, I am worried about how much our princess has in terms of agency and how much development she gets from the story, since a lot of it is told from her perspective. Still, if you are in the mood for romance, period dramas, and something more slow and low-key, then you will probably like this show.

Blue Lock (Crunchyroll)

The one sports anime of the season comes in the form of one of the best sports anime of the year. It’s based on the manga by Muneyuki Kaneshiro with illustrations by Yusuke Nomura. The adaptation is written by Taku Kishimoto, directed by the duo of Tesunaki Watanabe and Shunsuke Ishikawa, and produced by Eight Bit. Instead of being another familiar but well-executed typical shonen-style sports anime, Blue Lock brings a more aggressive and sinister vibe to the sports formula by pitting teams against each other to become the best. With a more assertive and menacing art style to the players and the world itself, Blue Lock sets itself apart by being different and truly stands out among 2022’s mostly generic batch of sports anime.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury (Crunchyroll)

Never thought I’d see the day I talk about and love a Gundam series that wasn’t G-Gundam or the other series that Toonami and Adult Swim played back then. This is directed by Hiroshi Kobayashi and Ryo Ando, written by Ichiro Okouchi, and produced by Sunrise. Who knew that what we needed was not a group of angsty teenagers in yet another anti-war story that clashes with the sole money-making side of the Gundam franchise of selling a multitude of models and action figures? Yeah, war is bad, but look how cool the robots and action beats are. Thankfully, what ya get with this one is Gundam crossed with Revolutionary Girl Utena, which is already at this point, a tired and worn joke since one of the writers of Utena is writing the script for this show. On a more serious note, this show is just fantastic. It’s got its political upheaval and war is bad messages for sure, but instead of that stuff being in your face at all times, it focuses more on the characters and they are delightfully diverse and complex. It still weaves in themes of discrimination and corruption, but they are characters first and foremost. It also helps that they are pretty likable, on top of the fight scenes being pretty stellar. It’s the shot in the arm that this franchise needed and it just needed to have more LGBTQ+ elements. Who knew?

Akiba Maid War (HiDive)

Well, I found it, I found the most ideal trashy anime that I don’t have to feel guilty for watching. This original anime is directed by Soichi Masui, written by Yoshihiro Hiki, and produced by P.A. Works. Yeah, the show is basically John Wick, but here every woman wears a sexy maid uniform. It’s more of a trashy action flick mixed with some territorial crime/gang war drama where all of the maid cafes are actually competing against one another with shady underbelly stuff that you would find in most crime thrillers. It’s over-the-top and schlocky, but with how much personality is in this show and how it 100% commits to its premise of drama and over-the-top action, if you were a fan of Lycoris Recoil, then you will absolutely love this show. HiDive this year has gotten some of this year’s best shows and Akiba Maid Wars is one of them!

And there you have it. If you had to know the anime I’d recommend before the Winter season starts, please check out these titles: Chainsawman, Reincarnated as a Sword, Do It Yourself, Gundam: The Witch From Mercury, Akiba Maid Wars, Bocchi Rock, Raven if the Inner Palace, I’m The Villainess so I’m Taming the Final Boss, and honorable mentions go to Not a Married Couple, but Not Lovers and Urusei Yatsura.

My Least Favorite Animated Films of 2021

December 24, 2022December 24, 2022 camseyeview Editorials, Lists Bigfoot Family, Charming, Dog Gone Trouble, Dreamworks, Firedrake the Silver Dragon, HBO Max, Lava, Monster Hunter: Legends of the Guild, Netflix, Night of the Animated Dead, Space Jam: A New Legacy, Spirit Untamed, Vanguard Animation, Warner Animation Group, Warner Bros, Worst to Best Animated Films of 2021, Xico's Journey

2021 in animation is definitely a step up from 2020. Not only did we have more to discuss, but films actually got released. I mean, granted, whether we should have been doing so during the pandemic is up to you, but it was nice to have a staggering number of animated films last year. It also helped that there was more competition among the different distributors, and while the best films of the year were the obvious entries, the fact that even the smaller films attempted to and won over some of the major releases is truly impressive. Sadly, we are not here to talk about the best films, we are here to talk about the ones I liked the least. The ones that infuriated me while watching and found to be lacking the heart and soul the medium of storytelling has given multiple stories life.

1. Lava

If there was truly a film that made me more upset than any other film released in 2021, a film that made me feel like I wasted my time watching it more than any other film, then it would be Lava. While it was fully watchable during Annecy 2020, it got a small on-demand release in 2021. It fails on every level, from the story, writing, characters, themes, acting, and the dub might be one of the worst dubs I have ever seen in a time period where people are able to record from home. This is a film that would have only survived in the festival circuit scene and even then, there is a reason why no one knows about this film or cares about it, and the few that did give this a review, were not favorable. I never want to see a film be this big of a waste of time again.

2. Xico’s Journey

While its experience as a feature film was not as insulting, with a few decent designs and one sequence that was very well animated, there isn’t much else that you can find here that hasn’t been made by better studios or teams that are in Mexico. There are some truly talented people in Mexico and South America, but this kind of film will not convince you otherwise. It’s harmless, but most viewers will be left bored and unimpressed with the lackluster animation that is more akin to Dora the Explorer in quality than have any real visual flair that will wow viewers looking for animated films from around the world. You can do so much better than Xico’s Journey.

3. Monster Hunter: Legends of the Guild

This was probably made to capitalize on the success of Monster Hunter World and its expansion, but that doesn’t excuse it from being a boilerplate story with nothing to really add to the mythos. It focuses on a character no one cares about, the rest of the cast is forgettable, and the action and animation are not up to snuff with CGI that has been used for TV films. Only die-hard Monster Hunter fans will ever want to watch this, but you might as well just play the video game or watch a playthrough of it online than give this special any time of the day.

4. Night of the Animated Dead

This honestly might be the most pointless remake of any movie of all time. While you could maybe see the inspirations of trying to look like cartoons from the 60s and 70s, and it has a decent cast, this remake ruins every aspect of its groundbreaking horror, and doesn’t do or offer anything different from the original or the 90s remake. It’s absolutely pointless. It might have a few performances that are fine, but you won’t find any meat on this remake’s bones.

5. Dog Gone Trouble

I feel badly for not really liking any of the films by Vanguard Animation. Who knows exactly what kind of production pipelines they have, but the fact is that they make boilerplate films with middling plots. The bummer part about this one is that it has a decent set-up, but then falls apart. It doesn’t do anything super offensive, but the fact I’m sitting here struggling to remember the multiple plot threads or the cast of forgettable characters is saying something. At least it’s animated decently.

6. Firedrake: The Silver Dragon

Once again, while not every film needs to try and look or structure their stories like the bigger studios out there, it doesn’t hurt to have a compelling narrative in a world mixed with fantasy and modern-day elements. This German animated film based on the Dragon Rider book falls flat with some truly uninteresting characters, a been-there-done-that style plot, and lacks any flare or surprise for audiences checking this film out. It has a few decent lines and Patrick Stewart as the villain will always be a high point in any film, but you will be much better off watching a film like How to Train Your Dragon than checking out lackluster and mediocre-looking films like Firedrake: The Silver Dragon.

7. Spirit Untamed

DreamWorks didn’t have a great 2021, and leading the year with one of their lowest-grossing and poorly received animated features didn’t help things. While there was definitely more critical whippings against this film due to its target demographic of young girls that definitely made this film sound worse than it was, it still falls flat compared to the studio’s other offerings. Some nice morals and a solid dream sequence don’t cover up a miscast list of big names, and a too straightforward plot that doesn’t offer much for the fans of the original film. It’s fine. It doesn’t look as good as other films due to its animation being outsourced to another studio, but it didn’t feel as insulting as others made it out to be. The only question is who was this made for, since it doesn’t really cater to fans of the original or the Netflix series? So, yeah, I wasn’t a fan of this one.

8. Space Jam: A New Legacy

I hate to sound like a snob, but the fact people were looking forward to this one is a sign of how profitable and predatory nostalgia has become. Instead of rolling their eyes at yet another nostalgia-riddled cash grab that tries to be meta about its entire existence but fails, people were excited about it. Like, it’s neat to see some lovely 2D animation and a lot of the cast be played by actual voice actors instead of it all being 100% celebrities, but the story is poorly written, it feels self-congratulatory about its own IP library, the mix of CGI, live-action, and CGI animated characters are not well executed. The ending loses any emotional weight it could have had, because of one terrible story decision after another.

9. Bigfoot Family

It’s impressive to note that Son of Bigfoot was a huge success. While I personally didn’t like the film, I get why people found it appealing, even if there are so many other animated films to give more love and support to than this one. I was surprised to see the sequel hit Netflix with such little fanfare, and well, no one talks about it now. Just a really dull and slog-worthy flick that is just a boring ‘save the environment’ plot, and about half of the cast and forgettable villains have some plot points that don’t quite hold up. The animation is nothing special, and overall, it’s just not all that noteworthy.

10. Charming

The problem when making a film that is based solely around the appeal and pull of a real-life celebrity couple voicing the leads is releasing it years after the fact. That’s not a good sign of why it took forever for this film to come out when everyone else got it years before. It’s a shame because it seems like this was Vanguard’s major attempt to try and get with the mainstream crowd, but then real life comes into play and changes everything. It doesn’t help either when the rest of the film is a very middling take on the fantasy parody genre Shrek made popular 21 years ago. It has some decent moments, but its inclusion of some problematic celebrities in its voice cast, a formulaic plot, and flat animation that didn’t quite push the visuals it needed to, results in the most harmless mediocre film I have seen this year, but definitely, one that’s more interesting to discuss the production and release history of over something like Lava.

Summer Lovin, The 2022 Anime Season Impressions Part 2

August 23, 2022August 23, 2022 camseyeview Editorials, Lists

Here we go with covering the second half of the new anime from this summer 2022 season! If you have yet to see part 1, I would highly recommend looking there first before reading this batch of impressions, but let’s just say that this is by far the batch of shows that had the most interesting shows, but also the worst. Let’s dive right in!

Fantasy/Isekai

Harem in the Labyrinth in Another World (Crunchyroll)

Content Warning: This show is all about sex slavery as a fetish

Well, who is shocked that they let another softcore/basically porn show into the season? I’m not. It’s based on the light novels and manga by Schagi Sogano. It’s directed by Naoyuki Tatsuwa, written by Kurasumi Sunayama, and produced by Passione, the same studio that did Mieruko Chan and Interspecies Reviews. Once you realize that, a lot of this show’s horny-on-main elements make a lot of sense. Listen, there is nothing wrong with a show being horny, and sexual themes shouldn’t be taboo, but maybe don’t make an anime or a light novel that’s about the main character who literally buys a harem of slaves? It’s played up for the fetish aspect of the story, but the way they frame sex slavery in the show is the real-world horrors that slavery actually is. It’s a tone that’s never quite gels, since it’s stuck being a mediocre boilerplate isekai, but it’s got no real time to focus on that, since it also wants to be a sexy romp with a harem angle. The show tries to have more philosophical and moral elements to the lead killing people and the whole morality of slavery, but since he can buy a slave who will have sex with him without fear of rejection, it’s okay. The first three episodes are literally about the lead character getting enough money to buy a sex slave. Doesn’t help either that the anime looks fine, but you know where all the budget went and it’s not the normal scenic moments or the action. They can try and have as many non-horny or softcore moments as possible, but the gist of the show is still a lead character buying a harem of slave girls. They could have all of the diverse personalities in the world, and the show’s world could have some amazing lore, and it still wouldn’t make up for the fact that not everyone on this show’s production team is on the same page. It’s even funnier, since the show knows you are here for the sexual elements, but since it’s on Crunchyroll, and was made for TV broadcast, the censorship covering every sexual element or word is done in such a comedic and over-the-top manner that it makes you wonder how in on the joke they are, or how dense it was for Crunchyroll to buy a softcore anime that, like Winter Season’s World End Harem, is made pointless due to how absurd the censorship is. Morally, this is the most repugnant anime I have seen this season, and it’s one of the worst I have seen this year. It’s an anime to make you realize that there are anime that actually know how to handle certain fetishes better than this one, and you should check out shows like the flawed, but better How Not to Summon a Demon Lord.

Black Summoner (Crunchyroll)

This generic isekai is based on the novels and manga by Doufu Mayoi. The anime adaptation is directed and written by Yoshimasa Hiraike, and produced by Satelight. Well, here we are with another boilerplate isekai. Yes, it tries something different with the monster-taming aspect. Yes, it has this fun knight side character and decent chemistry between our lead, the slime, the elf, and the knight. With all that said, you have literally seen anime that have done this before, and better. That’s the thing, you can get away with being familiar if you actually execute it well, and this one is fine. It’s also yet another isekai that tries to implement slavery into its narrative, but does nothing with it. Like, don’t introduce story beats that either don’t make a lick of sense narrative-wise or aren’t going to be expanded upon. Even other isekai this year with some very repugnant themes were able to do this. When you fail to be memorable or interesting, then you fail as a show or a reason for anyone to keep watching. Also, the animation is ugly. Its mix of 2D and CGI elements clash at all times and gives this show a dirt cheap look. There is a reason why many are critical of the isekai genre. When you don’t deliver on something good, people will turn on you quickly, and to be frank, there really should be a limit to how many we get in a year.

Vermeil in Gold (HiDive)

This fantasy ecchi anime is based on the manga by Kota Amana. The anime is directed by Takashi Naoya, written by Tatsuya Takahashi, and produced by Staple Entertainment. I know most come down hard on these ecchi series when they are just so upfront with how horny they are, and to give this show credit, it’s not trying to hide that it’s mostly a fetish anime. When a fetish anime decides to try and hide what it actually is all about, it ends up being a worse product. What’s frustrating about Vermeil though is that it’s actually trying hard to balance out its more arousing elements with a solid enough story that dives into the relationship and dynamics of our characters, and at the same time gives us a tragic backstory to our titillating female demon familiar. It’s commendable that the show is doing more than most, but that’s the problem. It wants to have its sexy visuals and also keep you invested with the rest of the show, resulting in it faltering in both areas. The show’s fetish is going to, as usual, be on a case-by-case scenario of whether you are going to be down with a flimsy teen boy being dominated by a curvaceous demon woman as a major driving force with why you watch the show. Granted, the lack of consent is distracting as heck, and while I get why this is a fetish, if the roles were reversed, people would be raking this show over the coals. It’s maddening that so few ecchi shows share the basic human concept of consent on any level. The more story-driven aspect is fine, but it’s every magic-based school anime you have ever seen, and while some tropes and characters are amusing, they don’t do enough to keep my interest. Still, it’s at least an ecchi show that I can see why people like it. It’s just not for me.

My Isekai Life: I Gained a Second Character Class and Became The Strongest Sage in the World (HiDive)

This isekai is based on the novels/light novels/manga by Shinkoshoto. The anime adaptation is directed by Keisuke Kojima, written by Naohiro Fukushima, and produced by Revoroot. While this does not do anything truly unique or distinct from other isekai out there, it’s an absolutely perfect example of a comfort food anime. It’s smart enough to make sure to give you a compelling character that isn’t just a self-insert for audiences, it has good action, the party the lead travels with is diverse and full of fun characters, and the animation isn’t lacking personality or polish. It has rock-solid action, the magic system is fun to see unfold, and our lead has a real reason to be distant toward many of the people he encounters on his journey. It’s nice to see an isekai not just skirt by with the bare minimum, and not be an overly powerful individual right off the bat. This should be the bare minimum, but since so many isekai tend to give up on their plots after the first episode, doing the bare minimum and doing it well is on the levels of something like Faraway Paladin or isekai that were made back in the day like Escaflowne, and anytime an anime is actually doing as much as it can or is willing to execute its familiar premise with flair, then I am all for supporting it. Plus, it has a batch of cute slimes that all have distinct looks to them! Who would say no to an adorable batch of slimes?

Parallel World Pharmacy (Crunchyroll)

This refreshing spin on the isekai genre is based on the novels by Liz Takayama. The anime is directed by Keizo Kusakawa, written by Wataru Watari, and produced by Diomedea. Once again, it feels so rare for an isekai to actually be both compelling and unique. While we have had an isekai about a guy making medicine last year, this is more akin to something like Saint’s Magic is Omnipotent, which is amusing since the same writer worked on that show and the same studio animated it as well. It’s more about a doctor who was reincarnated in a fantasy world that revolves around medicine and how it works in this world. It’s also not a power fantasy. He is powerful, but instead of taking down demon lords in one hit and getting a harem, the main character is all about making sure life saving medicine and healthcare is available to everyone and not just for the rich elite. This is the kind of isekai that we need more of, and not just a power fantasy made for the lowest common denominator. We need more isekai that actually want to and care about their characters. Or, like our next isekai, they do something so outwardly different that it sort of inspires its own sub-genre of isekai.

Uncle from Another World (Netflix)

This unique isekai comedy is based on the manga by Hotonshindeiru. The adaptation is directed by Shigeki Kawai, written by Kenta Ihara, and produced by AtelierPontdarc. I think this is the first time I have seen an isekai take place after the big power fantasy adventure is over. I like to describe this show as a post-isekai comedy. Its main focus is having our lead, the titular uncle, back in the real world who shacks up with his nephew. The major twist is that he brought all of his powers from the fantasy world back with him. Instead of being a power fantasy, it’s more of a slice-of-life comedy with some magical aspects that result in a lot of shenanigans from making YouTube videos of the uncle’s magic powers. It also portrays a more realistic isekai hero with the uncle having a ton of well-meaning intentions, but not the greatest social cues or awareness of things, all of which lead to a lot of incredible laughs. It also implements more modern elements like YouTube careers, and dives more into the psyche of our lead characters and the interactions they share. It might be full of unexpected dashes of humor, but it doesn’t forget to give depth to our characters, and it results in a show in this genre of anime that stands out among the rest. Also, the animation on the characters is so out there that it reminds me of the facial expressions from anime like Golden Boy, and that’s saying something due to how most anime try to stay cute and pretty while on-screen. Uncle From Another World feels like a breath of fresh air and a distinct experiment that the isekai genre absolutely needed.

Slice of life

Prima Doll (HiDive)

This is based on the multimedia project by Key and Visual Arts. The anime is directed by Tensho, it’s written by Kai and Toya Okano, and produced by Bibury Animation Studios. Listen, the hook of this one is cool. It’s pretty much set up like a post-war drama of these robot girls who were made to be soldiers now having to adapt to living a civilian life. That sounds great! Too bad the art direction is focused more on selling these characters as models and figurines than actually making sense in the setting in which they take place. This isn’t new, but when you have these cute, very high-pitched voices, and annoying characters that are cute for the sake of cute, sitting through this show is a chore. It doesn’t help either that the show tries really hard to make you feel sad and bad about the situation these characters are in. Too bad the very modern look of these cute robot girls takes you out of the experience. It’s why a good art direction can save a show, and why the look of our lead characters feels so out of place. It’s a shame, since you could see this being a solid drama about the mental baggage that comes with being someone who was on the frontlines, and now has to adapt to normal life, and the struggles that come with it. However, when you have to see “tragic” war flashbacks with these child soldiers that look like they were made to sell you merchandise and or be a part of those virtual idols, well, it’s more funny than serious. When it’s not visually distracting, it’s trying too hard to be taken seriously, and I can’t see this one being appealing to anyone.

The Maid I Hired Recently is Mysterious (Crunchyroll)

It’s a case of a show doing the bare minimum to try and keep you invested. This is based on the manga by Wakame Konbu. It’s directed by Mirai Minato (who also writes the script) and Misuzu Hoshino and produced by Silver Link and Blade. The compelling angle of why you should check this show out is the mystery about why this maid showed up at this young kid’s mansion, and honestly, It’s not all that compelling. There are moments where the dynamic between the two is cute enough, but since there is a tinge of romance and an obvious age difference in the relationship, it becomes a bit iffy on where this is going, and the mystery angle is not all that compelling. The show wants you to keep coming back to our maid lead and while she is cute, it’s not enough anymore. The comedy falls flat and the animation is fine, but nothing outstanding. Maybe if they started the mystery angle a bit harder or if this was funnier, I would be more involved, but this anime just bored me to tears with how repetitive it got. Even the new characters they introduced don’t do enough to make up for how dull the rest of the show is.

Shine Post (HiDive)

This is based on the multimedia project by Konami and Straight Edge. The adaptation is directed by Kei Oikawa, written by SPP, Tatsuo Higuchi, and Rakuda, and produced by Studio Kai. Yeah, we already have too many idol anime as well, and like isekai, they need to do something to differentiate themselves than be more idol industry propaganda. This anime tries to differentiate itself by focusing more on the personal drama of the idol group we follow and a manager brought in who has a unique ability to see people who are lying about something. It gives the manager more of a character, and focuses on him just as much as our group of promising idols. It definitely tries to do more than just “we want to be the best idol group of all time”, and I’m glad it does have something other than cute anime girls that may or may not look good as anime statues on your shelf. It’s overall an okay show with some genuine drama thrown into some of the characters, and the dance sequences are all done using rotoscope, but it still looks clunky. It would be so cool to see them do more than what looks like typical dance sequences we see with every idol anime, but at least they don’t use ugly CGI that’s not composited well onto the 2D background. It’s solid, but I don’t think I have the interest to dive back into the drama of the idol anime unlike the next idol anime on this list.

When Will Ayumu Make his Move (HiDive)

This romantic comedy is based on the manga by Teasing Master Tagaki San author Soichiro Yamamoto. It’s directed by Mirai Minato, written by Deko Akao (aka Hitomi Mieno), and produced by Silver Link. While this is leagues better than Soichiro’s previous anime adaptation of In The Heart of Kunoichi Tsubaki, it still has its own set of problems. It at least moves a bit faster between our leads crushing on one another and by the third episode go on a date, the side characters have a bit more spark and quirk to them than expected, and there is a nice low key vibe to this slice-of-life romcom. Unfortunately, it decided to come out after the latest season of the much better and more popular Kaguya Sama: Love is War. The overall journey through the first four episodes was uneven, and the whole shogi club premise is not entirely fleshed out, and the author’s iconic art style is poorly shown in such a drab-looking show. I think the intention was meant to make the world around them feel like the flashback sequences from Only Yesterday where there is a hazy glow to everything. It just doesn’t help things that the animation is not all that stellar. It looks fine at points, but then it can look rather cheap due to whatever was going on behind the scenes. It’s a cute show, and it’s not the worst one of the season, but you can do much better in terms of slice-of-life anime.

Phantom of the Idol (HiDive)

This anime is based on the manga by Hijiki Isoflavone. It’s directed by Daisei Fukuoka, written by Yasuko Aoki, and produced by Studio Gokumi. This spooky take on the idol formula is at the very least, more interesting than the last time I encountered an idol show with a ghostly idol individual in the cast. This one takes it in a more comedic route with one of the male leads in an idol duo group only doing the idol thing to rake in easy cash and doesn’t have the passion to push himself. That is, until he encounters a ghost of a deceased idol who agrees to help him become the best idol he can be. However, this only scratches the surface of what the entire show is about as you get past the first episode. The lead that bonds with the ghost idol actually becomes much more interesting and compelling. His lackadaisical attitude could be a very easy turn-off to many, if not handled well, but his interactions with the idol ghost and his fellow idol make for a very fun comedy/drama that actually doesn’t focus too much on the idol stuff. Like it gets brought up and you do get songs and dancing sequences through the first few episodes, but the show wants to also focus on its characters and what drives them, and to be honest, that’s way more compelling than being just another idol show. Seeing a flawed trio of characters go about how they want to go about the idol experience and job, while focusing little on pushing out a new mobile game or merchandise (at least upfront) makes for a better show than most this season.

TEPPEN Laughing Til You Cry (Crunchyroll)

Consider this a surprise of the season! This comedy anime is based on the manga by Inujun. It’s directed by Shinji Takamatsu and Toshinori Watanabe, written by Jun Kumagai, and produced by Drive. You would think a comedy anime about a house full of comedy groups would be a touch overwhelming, chaotic in what kind of comedy styles they perform, and that the comedy wouldn’t translate to an English-speaking audience. Then again, when you get someone like Shinji Takamatsu, who has been behind a multitude of classic comedy anime like School Rumble, a majority of the Gintama franchise, Haven’t You Heard, I’m Sakamoto Kun, and Cute High Earth Defense Club, then you have someone with the experience to make it work. And, to my surprise, it’s a delightful show. It’s not only funny, but it also dabbles in how weird comedy trios can be with how absurd some of the humor and each individual group’s gimmicks can be. They also do take episodes to focus on one or two groups, and it makes sure to make them all stand out from one another. It is an anime that’s simply put, having fun with its premise, and that feels so rare that they know what they are doing and aren’t just bailing on the word ‘go’. Never thought I would be here saying this comedy anime about comedians is good due to the last one being dire, but this one is in fact, good!

The Yakuza Guide to Babysitting (Crunchyroll)

This anime is based on the manga by Tsukiya. It’s directed by Itsuro Kawasaki, written by Keiichiro Ochi, and produced by Feel and Gaina. If you like shows like Kotaro Lives Alone or Sweetness and Lightning, then this will be right up your alley about a tough yakuza right hand who has to take care of his boss’s daughter. It sounds like it could go either way with comedy and drama. What the show decides to do is go down the route of both, where it balances out comedic antics with personal character drama. There is a lot going on under the surface of this show, and it may have a hard time balancing it out in the first episode, but after that, you are met with some complex characters, solid laughs, and constant momentum with the bond between the yakuza and the kid becoming stronger as each episode passes. It also lays down the groundwork for a cast of likable and imposing side characters, and an ongoing subplot about the daughter’s mom that make for one of the best anime of the season and the year in general.

And there we have it! This was the Summer 2022 Anime Season Impressions! Not a great season of anime, but there were definitely a couple of shows that I very much enjoyed. If I had to list the ones I recommend from this part and part 1 of the impressions, these would be the anime I would recommend checking out now if you haven’t already.

They are Uncle From Another World, Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting, TEPPEN, Phantom of the Idol, Parallel World Pharmacy, Call of the Night, and Lycoris Recoil. Definitely give these anime a watch if you haven’t already!

Summer Lovin, The 2022 Summer Anime Season Impressions Part 1

August 23, 2022August 23, 2022 camseyeview Editorials, Lists

The Summer 2022 Season has once again proven to be the year’s weakest season. Not that it didn’t have any good spots or elements to enjoy or admire, but the mediocre shows were more bountiful this season. While that might be a good thing for some viewers who like to support bad shows because they are “entertaining to ironically enjoy”, it leads to more quantity over quality situations in an already overworked industry. There doesn’t always need to be 30 shows getting released every three months, and we definitely don’t need more isekai and shows that skate the line of being porn, but are edited to be watched on broadcast TV. It’s the fact that a lot of the medium’s lowest quality schlock comes out in this season specifically that makes it frustrating. So then, let’s dive right in with these impressions!

ROMCOM

My Stepmom’s Daughter is My Ex (Crunchyroll)

This is based on the novels and manga by Kyosuke Kamishiro, and the adaptation into animation is directed by Shinsuke Yanagi, written by Deko Akao aka Hitomi Mieno, and produced by Project No. 9. It’s going to be a bad time for any rom-com coming out after the wake of Kaguya Sama, Aharen, and Shikamori’s Not Just a Cutie, because they are going to have to carry the weight of trying to be the next big rom-com anime, and, well, you don’t do that by making a pseudo-incest anime. They try to write away that bag of yikes by saying that they were exes before their respective parents got married so they aren’t technically blood-related, but when you become brother and sister, the tone changes to creepy. It’s weird, because there are details, like how the break-up between our two leads was not exactly a happy one, and the bitterness they have for one another is a decent driving force for the comedy. Unfortunately, we all know where this type of show is going with them ending up together, and everything based around that endgame is not entertaining. Heck, they don’t even commit to the gimmick seen in the first episode. What’s even the point of bailing on your entire premise by the second episode? Oh wait, we all know why, and it’s why anime is such a tedious medium to enjoy. It’s also not animated well. It looks fine, but when you hear comedy, the characters aren’t animated to be comedic. It’s like the team was worried about them not looking “attractive”, and then the show decided to tempt fate by having fanservice moments. They aren’t common, but when they pop up, they are so out of place. It’s just an incredibly middling anime that could have some great moments, but the overarching story leaves a lot to be desired. Easily one of the worst shows of the season so far.

Engage Kiss (Crunchyroll)

This anime is based on a mixed media project by Square Enix, and the show is directed by Tomoya Tanaka, written by Fumiaki Maruto, and produced by A-1 Pictures. There is honestly a cool concept here with a false utopia where capitalism has resulted in multiple demon-hunting companies to bid for demon-hunting gigs with the lowest bid. There is a lot of world-building that could lead to some very impressive story beats and arcs for our main characters. There is even something there with how our lead works with his ex and his demon partner on hunting gigs. With all that said, you better love the lead, because he is by far one of the worst leads in the summer season. An absolutely lazy and hateful individual who doesn’t think he has any flaws or he gets super defensive when called out on his own flaws. The show bends like a pretzel to make two anime girls like him, and it just breaks the immersion. There is a way to make “I want to live and work the way I want to” characters work since Kintaro from Golden Boy is one of the most popular old anime characters, but it all comes down to execution, and our lead in Engage Kiss comes off like that one character from Odd Taxi who was mad he wasn’t going viral as a content creator. This is an intensely frustrating watch because there is obviously a lot of stuff in this show that is interesting and the animation looks good, but when the main lead is this obnoxious, it overshadows everything. You can have unlikeable characters and they can be flawed, but you have to still want to watch them grow or find their miserable existence entertaining.

Call of the Night (HiDive)

Finally, something good and not frustrating to talk about. This is based on the manga by Kotoyama. The anime adaptation was directed by Tetsuya Miyanishi (chief director) and Tomoyuki Itamura, written by Michiko Yokote, and produced by Liden Films. While there are some aspects of the show that can be a bit much, like the constantly subtle and not subtle talk of our leads being horny via the dynamic between a human male and a vampire, and how much a lot of that is the base of this show, it’s not just that. This low-fi atmospheric romcom also has a lot of themes and beats about feeling lost in a world with no drive and finding a connection with people. It’s a very calm and odd anime that looks great. It’s an offbeat anime that easily stands out from the mostly mediocre anime of the season. It also stands out because it’s actually good.

OTHER

Extreme Hearts (Crunchyroll)

Unlike a lot of anime this season, this one is actually an original project. Though I’ll be blunt, I assumed this was some kind of multi-media project with a mediocre mobile game attached to it. We will get to that part in a second. This anime is directed by Junji Nishimura, written by Masaki Tsuzuki, and produced by Seven Arcs. This show is a real mess. On one hand, there is the undeniable fire and passion for this project to make a combination of idol industry nonsense and sports nonsense, and for the first episode, there is a feeling of investment that you want to dive into with this show. Sadly, after the first episode, they fast forward through a lot of the sports side of the show to get to the idol stuff. It’s a shame because there haven’t been that many good sports anime this year with Salaryman’s Club still taking the top honor, but sure, we absolutely apparently needed more idol nonsense. It’s a bummer that anime has so much anime nonsense, and that said nonsense gets in the way of shows that could have just been fun and absurd. It’s a shame the one true sports anime that isn’t a sequel show is mediocre, but hey, if you enjoy it, that’s cool, but you won’t see me recommending it after the 3rd episode.

Yurei Deco (Crunchyroll)

Be prepared, we have a couple of original anime this season! This one is directed by Tomohisa Shimoyama, written by Dai Sato, and produced by Science Saru. If you need a quick comparison or an easier way to describe Yurei Deco, think of it as a good version of Ready Player One that, instead of a self-indulgent piece of nostalgia-bating garbage, actually shows the horrors of a future that is always online. The way this show builds up its “persistently online while vibrant and colorful” is hiding the fact the city the characters live in is desolate, and the world they live in is authoritarian. They even find a way to tackle some pretty politically heavy topics like citizenship and the consequences of not being consistently signed up in this virtual world. The mysteries that lie underneath the flashy designs and the usual Science Saru aesthetics make this one of the best anime of the summer season, and that’s not hard since it’s so much better than 90% of the anime released this season. Not only is the summer anime season usually the weakest, but it’s also fertile ground for more experimental anime projects to show up and take the spotlight.

ACTION/ADVENTURE

Smile of the Arsnotoria the Animation (Crunchyroll)

This title is based on the mobile game by NextNinja. It’s directed by Naoyuki Tatsuwa, written by Midori Goto, and produced by Liden Films. Listen, if this didn’t have the confusing combination of magical tea time shenanigans and extremely dark and violent war stuff, this show would still be sort of boring. With what we have, it’s got a tonal problem when it mostly focuses on the cute stuff, and then at some point will show some intensely violent stuff that you are hoping becomes part of the forefront. You had better have some patience because it has yet to play a major role, and honestly, if you aren’t down for low-key slice-of-life stuff with a cast of cute girls, then you won’t tolerate this show at all. Kyoani and Naoko Yamada made this genre of anime look good with such ease, but it shows that you can’t just focus on one aspect and neglect the others. Once again, Liden Films has some impressive visuals, but it’s a shame this show’s rather lush visuals are for a show that’s, for the most part, boring. Also, take a shot every time the lead character has to sniff something or just says ‘sniff’. It will drive you up a wall.

Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer (Crunchyroll)

If you have been watching the anime this season, then this one stands out for all of the wrong reasons. This is the anime based on Satoshi Mizukami’s manga which was a cult favorite. It’s directed by Nobuaki Nakanishi, written by Satoshi Mizukami and Yuichiro Momose, and produced by NAZ. Whatever this premise has going for it, it is all undone due to how ugly as all get out this show is. Realizing that this was made by the same studio that did My Sister My Writer, the infamous bad anime of 2018, a lot of the terrible production values seen in Lucifer make a ton of sense. Every action scene is terrible, the line art is inconsistent, the compositing, the movements, the comedy, and the poorly placed CGI. It’s hands down one of the ugliest shows not of just the season, but of the year or more. Even with the ugly art direction, the story is all over the place. It can’t seem to find a tone of what it wants to be. Due to the bad animation, the action is lackluster. It has a few story beats that give depth to the characters, but it’s not enough. This is a disappointing adaptation of a fan-favorite manga author, and who knows if there will ever be a proper adaptation of this particular manga.

Shine On! Bakumatsu Bad Boys (Crunchyroll)

Content Warning: The one female character in this show’s backstory show attempted assault.

Well, here we go with an original anime of the season! This show is directed and written by Tetsuo Hirakawa, with designs by Shaman King author Hiroyuki Takei, and is produced by Geno Studio. Once again, I find myself conflicted with this one. On one hand, this undercover group of samurais taking down an evil force that’s trying to disrupt the people in power of Japan is lifted by the show’s striking visuals and character designs. It’s a visually striking show that helps it stand out from a lot of this season’s mediocre tripe. On the other hand, the show’s world-building leans into some pseudo-nationalism, and many of the characters are, simply put, loud. Many of the characters yell their lines and some are, so far, painted to be fairly one note. The action is rock solid, but it seems like this is only one of the better shows so far by default. I liked it, but I am hesitant about whether I would want to personally continue or not.

Lycoris Recoil (Crunchyroll)

Hey look, another original anime this season! This show is directed by Shingo Adachi, written by Asaura, and produced by A1 Pictures. Yes, it’s a show about cute anime high school girls going on secret missions because they are trained assassins. Yes, they bend the world’s logic and storytelling like a pretzel to excuse some of the show’s more outlandish story beats and violence. Yes, I am absolutely sure those special rubber bullets used by one of our leads would actually cause a ton of physical damage if shot at close range by them. Yes, this anime does have a lot of anime nonsense due to how this is an original title with some multi-media parts coming into play at a later date. With all that said though, and this is pretty much because the season is so lackluster, Lycoris Recoil seems to actually know what it wants to be as a show! With every new original anime project, you get nervous about how far the pitch for this show went. Some shows, even ones based on preexisting properties, tend to sometimes never go far beyond the elevator pitch or they completely bail on their premise by the second episode. Thankfully, Recoil seems to know that it wants to be a stylish cute anime girls using guns and getting into John Wick-style situations, and that’s fun to watch when everyone making the show is on the same level. If this was released last season or even a season like Fall 2021, it probably would get overlooked, but since so many anime this season are falling flat on their faces, Lycoris Recoil, with its likable leads, polished animation, bubbly atmosphere with a hint of something darker underneath the bubbliness, and entertaining action set pieces makes for a show that is hands down one of the more entertaining shows of the season. Hopefully, it finds a way to keep balancing everything, because it would really be a disappointment if this show fell off the rails as it went on.

So for now, if you want to know which anime of these categories so far I would recommend watching, they would be Yurei Deco, Call of the Night, and Lycoris Recoil.

The Other Side of Animation

Reviews of the lesser known animated classics and flops!

Lists

Spring Cleaning the Spring Anime Season Part 2

Spring Cleaning the 2023 Spring Anime Season Part 1

Least Favorite Animated Films of 2022

The Winter 2023 Anime Season. The Winter 2023 Anime Season Never Changes Part 2

My Favorite Animated Films from 2021

My Least Favorite Animated Films of 2021

Summer Lovin, The 2022 Anime Season Impressions Part 2

Summer Lovin, The 2022 Summer Anime Season Impressions Part 1

ROMCOM

OTHER

ACTION/ADVENTURE