Let's talk anime.

Yeah, Bookworm has been kinda dropping off my top anime of the season spot for Didn't I Say.
Between the points you mentioned above and the increasing focus on Spice and Wolf style economics (not to the same level, fortunately), it's becoming less of my cup of tea.

Taharka wrote:

Yeah, Bookworm has been kinda dropping off my top anime of the season spot for Didn't I Say.
Between the points you mentioned above and the increasing focus on Spice and Wolf style economics (not to the same level, fortunately), it's becoming less of my cup of tea.

Whereas it's making it more my cup of tea. (Well, I'm a bit over the isekai trope of "let's completely remake this fantasy society with modern technological advancements" but the ones in Bookworm are small-scale enough to avoid the usual overwhelming-power-curve problem that started to annoy me in things like the Slime one. She's trying to make books, not save the world.)

Completely unrelated to anything anyone else is watching, I've been trying to dabble in some anime every so often since, as much as I love my gaming, it can get a bit monotonous, and I don't always have 2 hours to dedicate to AEW Wrasslin'.

Firstly, they're doing a second showing of Promare in theaters Sunday (subtitled) and Tuesday (dubbed) so I'm going to see it with my niece tomorrow after missing it the first time. Will probably post here after seeing it.

I watched the first episode of Gintama and have little to say on it so far. It was a rough first episode but there are moments of cleverness and humor. I'll give it a bit more to see if the pacing improves once they stop trying to introduce so much.

Watching the fourth season of My Hero Academia, which I was a tad "meh" on when I expected it to be a repeat of prior arcs: characters do student hero stuff for half of the season, then the bad guys interrupt. Instead, they've interwoven those to in a manner that I'm curious how things are going to build and develop, though admittedly it's at the cost of some of the side characters. Honestly, though, I don't mind the characters they've chosen to focus on. So, I'm actually interested and invested in seeing how it turns out week after week.

The more notable show is that I've finally begun JoJo's Bizarre Adventure after my best friend, titular podcast co-host, and non-anime watching friend has started watching it. I must say, there's something wonderful about it.

At the same time, I feel like I ought to just go read the manga, because the (first season of the) show just feels rushed. Like they're condensing a ton of comics down while trying to quote them precisely, which means all the dialogue spent describing what's not being drawn or clarifying the art is being spoken aloud. I can only do so much of that, and I can't help but feel like it'd be paced better in the actual manga.

Of course, if I did that I wouldn't get that sweet sweet Roundabout at the end of each episode. Still feels weird for this song I grew up with since childhood that no one else my age seemed to know or care about at the time is now a beloved meme.

Regardless, seeing the inspiration this clearly took from Fist of the North Star draws comparisons impulsively, and despite being an older (and arguably more archaic) shounen, I can't help but prefer that one more. Even if Dio is in my humble opinion a more entertaining and fun villain ("But it was ME, DIO!"), Fist of the North Star just felt... better? I dunno. I mean, there's something to be said about this crazy wild world of masculinity and characters named R.E.O. Speedwagon, Tonpetti (and the Heart Breakers), (Led) Zeppeli(n), Dire, and Straits. But all in all Crazy Post-Apocalyptic Universe where Mad Max is Bruce Lee just works for me better.

Also: "Omaewa mo shinderu." "NANI?!?!"

Other than all that, I need to get back to watching the Kabaneri film on Netflix that was mysteriously split into three episodes because reasons. I also started watching 8th MS Squadron on Hulu but stopped at some point. I also need to finish my Blu-Ray of War in the Pocket.

Oh! I also did get my Gunsmith Cats Blu-Ray from the AnimEigo kickstarter. A delightfully fun show, too bad they haven't rereleased the manga like they've done with Alita and seem to be doing with Berserk.

For some reason this conversation sparked a desire to produce an ordered list of isekai shows. (No, I don't know why I would spend part of my Saturday doing this.)

The Devil is a Part-Timer - Technically a reverse isekai, where the dark overlord comes to earth and decides that the way to get ahead is to...work at McDonalds.

Dr. Stone - I mean not technically an isekai, but let's face it, that's the genre. Only show I'll tolerate the power-fantasy-curve from because it's literally recreating the real-world tech tree in interesting ways. Chemistry is a far more interesting magic system than most fantasy shows have.

Re:Zero - unlike most isekai power fantasies, the show knows that the protagonist screws things up for himself and surprisingly forces him to deal with the consequences. Like, the protagonist being a loser is an informed attribute in most shows, but here overcoming that is central to the character arc. Has its weaknesses, but there's a heart to it that a bunch of other isekai shows don't have.

Saga Of Tanya The Evil - Barely an isekai, really, without the usual power-curve focus, because the engine for the central plot is about strategy instead. Also one of the shows that actually acknowledges that it has an antihero protagonist. The point is to watch Tanya chew the scenery. Aoi Yūki (and Monica Rial in the dub) gets to play against type in a delightful performance.

Ascendance of a Bookworm - unlike most battle-focused shows, is pretty quiet and down-to-earth. I mean, the protagonist is struggling with a chronic fatigue disability and the general poverty of the social class she finds herself in. And I like that it's starting to deal with the side effects of that. (I have not read the source material or spoilers, so I only know what has been aired.)

Grimgar - It puts the protagonists through the wringer and completely avoids the power curve problem by the focus on low-level struggles and consequences. Gorgeous watercolor background art. I mean, I'd watch it for the background paintings.

Log Horizon - In hindsight, I'd say that the appeal is that it does the Dr. Stone thing but with MMO mechanics. Having a strategist as the protagonist instead of a front-line fighter felt fresh at the time, and I feel like the first part is the strongest and that it struggles with pacing once the community is established while taking a bit too long to dig into the larger consequences. Which I assume is a limitation of the approach to the adaptation.

Didn't I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?! - gives the characters backstories that matter to who they are and (despite revolving around making fun of the power curve) is generally pretty subdued. Having the overpowered protagonist be a girl is not unique but is still a definite improvement over some of thing things at the bottom of the list, despite the maybe-too-frequent boob jokes.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime - gets major points for being less horny and with story that is genuinely kind; less interesting in that the power-curve fantasy is entirely predictable. I'd still rate it higher if there was more of the characters-that-are-fun-to-hang-out-with factor that you get from good slice of life stuff, but most of the characters are pretty one-note.

Wise Man's Grandson - Mostly harmless. Like, the characters are nice to each other in refreshing ways and it avoids the overly otaku-horniness pit, but still has the power fantasy dead center.

GATE - I guess I should go back and finish watching it? I wasn't in the mood for attack helicopters at the time.

Overlord - interesting idea held back by how painfully otaku-bait the protagonist's NPC assistants are.

KonoSuba: God's Blessing On This Wonderful World! - I don't feel like watched enough of it to have an opinion?

Sword Art Online - I feel like Sword Art and its spinoffs have had a lot of unrealized potential (and that Asuna should have been the protagonist from the beginning). Emphasis on unrealized. Gun Gale Online (same universe, but a different writer) points to what it could achieve.

Isekai Cheat Magician - I mean confronting the power curve problem head on is one way to deal with it. From what I saw it handled that part of it better than average, but I'm not confident in the writers being able to handle the characters in a way that will let it rise above it.

The Rising of the Shield Hero - had an interesting premise starting the hero at below negative power, but immediately threw it away by being rapey and slut shaming, with creepy relationship power dynamics.

No Game No Life - I don't mind insular gamer power fantasies that revolve around being clever instead of powerful, but stop creepily hitting on all of the women you encounter and definitely leave your little sister out of it.

In Another World with My Smartphone - I didn't watch it and have no plans to.

 
 

Now someone recommend me some non-isekai shows that I can watch over winter break.

Non-isekai?
Well, I don't know if you've already watched some of these, but here goes (they're all old, I'm mostly hoping you overlooked some of them)

Cooking Shows:
Restaurant to Another World: Vignette show about different regular patrons from a fantasy world to a modern Tokyo restaurant. The overall plot is a very light touch through the show and only gets an explanation at the end, but it's a fun and lighthearted show.

Today's Menu for the Emiya Family: Yet another spin off of the Fate/Stay series, this one is a bunch of half-length episodes centered around the main character of Fate/Stay Night cooking. Some knowledge of Fate/Stay Night (or the Fate/Stay universe) is nice, but not required.

Food Wars: I think by now you've probably at least heard of Food Wars, even if you haven't seen it. I like it, but it's very Food Porn, with people's clothes flying off and assumed orgasms when they eat something.

Slice of Life:
A Place Further than the Universe: Easily my top recommended show in this genre. Four high school girls going to Antarctica to look for one of the girl's mother, and the trials they go through to get there. I won't spoil anything, but this show has the best emotional payoff at the end of any show I've seen.

The Helpful Fox Senko-San/Miss Kobyashi's Dragon Maid: I put them together because they're kinda the same show with different characters. A magical entity comes to live with an everyday hard working person in Japan, and antics ensue. Both are kinda creepy in different ways, but if you can get past that, I found them both very cute.

Ms. Vampire Who Lives in My Neighborhood: Girl finds out a vampire is living nearby, but instead of being creeped out, she moves in. It's kinda a sitcom, with a clash of not just cultures, but also species trying to live together. Very Moe. Also kinda a slow show, took me a while to get into it.

Laid-Back Camp: High school girls go camping. Minor fan service, but really not too bad. It's a cute show about camping, IDK what else to say.

Other:
To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts: What if the South was looking to win during the Civil War, so the North developed a way to turn certain people into beasts of legend, like the minotaur, etc, then unleashed them to win the war... then abandoned them after the war was done because they were a burden?
That's sort of the premise of this show, as shown from the perspective of a daughter of one of those beasts who initially starts on a quest for revenge against the beast's commander from the war (also a beast) for killing her father, then accompanying him to learn more about the beasts and their pain.
It's... not a happy show, but I find it engaging.

Flip Flappers: I have no real idea what's going on with this show. It reminds me of FLCL... a lot. Kinda crazy, lots of amazing visuals, weird story. I keep watching it, but I don't know what's going on.

Occult;Nine: If you can get past the fan service, there's an interesting murder mystery story going on here about... well... the occult and its clash with technology.

The Lost Village: Haven't watched this yet, but it seemed interesting. I'll just copy the show info: "30 young men and women who came together on a shady bus tour. The tour's destination: an illusive, possibly nonexistent village called Nanakimura. In Nanakimura, one can lead a utopian existence, free of the world's obstacles … or so it was rumored, like an urban legend. "In despair over the real world ... wanting to escape the tedious daily life … wanting to restart your life from scratch…" The bus headed deep into the mountains, carrying 30 people each harboring their own expectations and wounds in their hearts… "

Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files: Yet another Fate/Stay spinoff show... this one is about one specific character from the series (Fate/Zero) and is basically a mystery show centered around magic. The whole Servant thing from the Fate series doesn't come into it (yet, I haven't finished it), it's more about the mages this time.

I know a Facebook group I'm in is all about Demon Slayer. No longer being on Twitter and no longer having Crunchyroll, I cannot really say one way or the other whether it's lighting up them anime charts, nor have I looked into it. I'm no longer keeping up with the latest seasons and, given how many of even the non-Isekai shows follow a certain template, I'm not bugged by that.

Still need to see Trigger's Mecha anime from last year whose name I already forget, though. The one after Darling in the Franxx.

I know stuff keeps popping up on Netflix that looks interesting but I'm so slow at watching stuff these days. I know Hero Mask got a second season but I haven't watched it, and probably need to watch season one again. Still waiting for Hi Score Girl's second season. I read almost all of the remaining manga and know it has a bittersweet ending and is probably one of the best romance anime made (I'd put it on the level of Your Lie in April, though most people would probably rank that one higher because it's blatantly more ALL THE FEELS HURGH... well, honestly, it also has better art and probably better direction. Hi Score Girl's cel-shading gets the job done but sometimes holds it back, and the direction kind of reflects this).

Man, I really am out of touch these days, though.

Taharka wrote:

Non-isekai?
Well, I don't know if you've already watched some of these, but here goes (they're all old, I'm mostly hoping you overlooked some of them)

I've seen some of them, but there's quite a few that I haven't. Thanks!

I'll Nth Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files. Waver Velvet was kind of a useless prat in the game, and seeing where he went after that and somehow managed to build a life is very cool.

Those were the days...

Between that and the lengthy FF7 trailer, Japan seems to be leaning heavily into the nostalgia these days in terms of marketing.

So saw Promare yesterday, and I've been trying to figure out what to say about it. Or rather, how best to describe it. I have some theories regarding its underlying themes, but those themes are largely explored in your typical Trigger fashion. Two sides are seemingly opposed at the start, and by the end they come together to forge a new path forward. Promare is "Studio Trigger: The Movie".

Stylistically it seems to draw quite heavily from Gurren Lagaan, though you can see tiny homages to some of their other works here and there. The plot is largely predictable until it hits that "unpredictable" but outrageous plot point that, while sometimes detrimental in television shows like Darling in the Franxx, works well enough here due to the shorter run-time and gradual escalation from start to finish. It both feels more restrained and more focused despite ending precisely where you'd expect a Studio Trigger story to conclude at this point.

Really, it kind of feels like a movie made in celebration of the studio itself, or with the intent of giving the fans everything they've come to expect. A self-aware product without surprises. At the same time, the focus on fire fighting and style of the art direction allow it to feel unique among the rest of Trigger's works. It's familiar, but fresh.

Perhaps most fresh is that, while there's a female character whose cockpit position is that same doggy pose you saw in Darling in the Franxx, the sexual fan-service is cranked way, way low in Promare. So that, at least, should help make it an easier watch for folks.

Regardless, it'll be an instant purchase once it's on Blu-Ray for me. I'm glad a movie like this exists, as while stuff like 5 Centimeters Per Second, Your Name, Fireworks, and the upcoming Weathering With You are all charming and good watches, they all follow the Anime equivalent of "Oscar Bait" and feel a bit samey. It's almost a reversal of American Hollywood, which is mostly spectacle super heroes and franchises. Promare is familiar, but it's still got style and is just... refreshing, period. More stuff like that, please.

So I finally got to watch Demon Slayer. It's a really good show. However, it is also about as shonen as you can get. Demons are the monster-of-the-week in a monster-of-the-week format. Low on politics, it's all about the fighting+. Having said that, it isn't just about the fighting. It's in the vein of the best fighting shows and movies in any medium. The fights are generally visually interesting, but they're also intellectually interesting, and most fights develop some point of character or plot. It isn't reliant on its visual spectacle, even though it doesn't skimp on that either.

Each of the characters, demon or slayer, also fleshes out some portion of the world. So when a fight explores and develops that character, it also builds the part of the world or the part of the plot that is associated with that character.

ccesarano wrote:

So saw Promare yesterday, and I've been trying to figure out what to say about it. Or rather, how best to describe it. I have some theories regarding its underlying themes, but those themes are largely explored in your typical Trigger fashion. Two sides are seemingly opposed at the start, and by the end they come together to forge a new path forward. Promare is "Studio Trigger: The Movie".

It's amazingly committed to its squares-and-triangles symbolism, right down to having rectangular lens flares.

LarryC wrote:

So I finally got to watch Demon Slayer. It's a really good show. However, it is also about as shonen as you can get. Demons are the monster-of-the-week in a monster-of-the-week format. Low on politics, it's all about the fighting+. Having said that, it isn't just about the fighting. It's in the vein of the best fighting shows and movies in any medium. The fights are generally visually interesting, but they're also intellectually interesting, and most fights develop some point of character or plot. It isn't reliant on its visual spectacle, even though it doesn't skimp on that either.

Each of the characters, demon or slayer, also fleshes out some portion of the world. So when a fight explores and develops that character, it also builds the part of the world or the part of the plot that is associated with that character.

How far into the series is it? Is it just one season so far?

I'm also tempted now to use Hunter x Hunter as a measuring stick of Shonen quality. "From a scale of Dragon Ball Z to Hunter x Hunter, how good would you say it is?" I finally started watching the Greed Island arc, which swaps to some weird fusion of Issekai and Yu-Gi-Oh card battler, but then immediately introduces a different twist that makes me curious how it'll turn out.

I still kind of wish the whole show was more like The Phantom Troupe arc since Kurapika is a more interesting character than Gon, but what are ya gonna do? I'll just have to go back and rewatch it at some point.

Gremlin wrote:

It's amazingly committed to its squares-and-triangles symbolism, right down to having rectangular lens flares.

Y'know, I didn't even think about that little touch. Like, it's all over the place but I just chalked it up to the visual aesthetic, not necessarily a motif going on.

ccesarano wrote:
Gremlin wrote:

It's amazingly committed to its squares-and-triangles symbolism, right down to having rectangular lens flares.

Y'know, I didn't even think about that little touch. Like, it's all over the place but I just chalked it up to the visual aesthetic, not necessarily a motif going on.

The very first image on screen is a triangle crushed inside a rectangle. They went out of their way to make triangular fire. I was confused by the technical choices behind this creature design before I realized the technique they used let them make it entirely out of obvious triangles. Look at Kray's insignia.

Trigger doesn't do subtext when they can hammer you over the head with text.

ccesarano wrote:
LarryC wrote:

So I finally got to watch Demon Slayer.

How far into the series is it? Is it just one season so far?

One finished season of 26 episodes with a movie continuation in production.

Mantid wrote:
ccesarano wrote:
LarryC wrote:

So I finally got to watch Demon Slayer.

How far into the series is it? Is it just one season so far?

One finished season of 26 episodes with a movie continuation in production.

The movie also looks like it's a canon arc, not an original story.

It's one season, but that season tackles a lot of arcs. It's 26 episodes. The next arc will be a movie because it's just a tad bit short, and to be honest it feels filler-y even though it's not a filler of any sort. That is, it's a standalone narrative with some relevance to the story but without a truly central role to the plot. I feel it was a good decision to make it a movie. If there will be a next season, it'll be Tanjiro going hard into training and fleshing out the rest of the Hashiras. The manga is rushing headlong into its finale, and it does feel like it will end rather soon. So maybe three seasons? The final assault on the Big Bad's stronghold feels like it could be an entire season unto itself - the last one - because it fills in so much of what happens before, during, and after the events of the first season.

I've never thought of Dragon Ball Z as being good anime, and while I tried to stick with Hunter x Hunter, it didn't really catch my fancy.

I find myself in the rather strange situation of recommending an anime about teenage girls and sex. That is O Maidens in Your Savage Season. I don't want to spoil anything, but it isn't really similar to other works that tackle these topics. It's not like any shojo anime I've watched, and it's not as melodramatic as the josei ones. Offhand, I'd say it's a very adult sort of anime, but that's mainly because younger audiences might not quite understand what's going on, or might still remember what it's like to be a hormonal teenager, and it hits pretty close to home so the events in it might hit a little harder than they would prefer.

With the advantage of three decades between my teenage self and when I watched this show, I found it endearing, funny, and insightful.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. I'm on episode four of this and really like it. The main character becomes nearly god like in the first 15 minutes of the first episode. He is kind of like one punch man but in the body of slime that is normally weak in this world.

Goblin Slayer. Had no interest in this until all controversy over the rape scenes. Then I had to see it for myself. I had to things in mind while watching this. One was one person said they didn't notice any rapes and thought it was blown out or proportion and the other was if the show just went way to far. I have no idea what that one guy was thinking. There is no way you could miss the rape or forget about it. It is the kind of thing that can hurt you even if you never experience being raped. Then the characters are kind of on the cute side so it makes it a lot worse to see them getting tormented. Even watching the dude get slowly stabbed was hard to watch. However, I also didn't think the show was out of line at how they dealt with the rape and violence. Unlike in something like SOA the show set the tone early on. I can see why other people would have a major problem with the show. This show definitely needs a trigger warning before it. Beyond that I liked the single mindedness of Goblin Slayer. He just didn't care about anything unless it had to do with killing goblins. I also liked how no one has a real name. Everyone is name after some combination of their job, gender, race, or ability. I didn't even pickup on this until the second to last episode.

One Piece. One Piece has been going downhill fast with latest arc but the last few episode have really picked things up. Big Mom hasn't even arrived yet which is kind of odd considering how fast she was going. I'm hoping she will show up in the middle of the current fight. The current guy they are fighting seems to be the strongest person they have had to date.

My Hero Academia. Continues to be great. Deku has been sidelined and that is okay with me. I love seeing what the rest of the class can do. The only bad thing is they aren't featuring the ladies enough. We get to see the big three except for one person, the girl. Where the F is she. You have bubble girl showing off under boob for half a second bring out the third member of the big three so we can see why she is a member of the big three. To be fair they did have some stuff with the pink girl with acid powers being heroic but it was mainly to define Suneater.

Hello, folks. I’m new around these parts, but I feel like it’d be super cool if I just camped around here and talked anime shop with you all.

I perused quite bit of the earlier pages, but not nearly all, and I saw a great deal of my old favorite shows being discussed. Some of the ones I Truly have a soft spot for, but didn’t see any mention of are
Plastic Little
El Hazard: The Magnificent World
The Sea Prince and the Fire Child
Riding Bean
Blue Seed
Maddox 01
Black Magic M-66
Bubblegum Crisis
Haunted Junction
Phantom Quest Corp.
Giant Robo
Robotech (Though, I did see someone whom mentioned Macross)

Is there any love for any of these oldies but goodies around here?

Twelve Kings wrote:

Hello, folks. I’m new around these parts, but I feel like it’d be super cool if I just camped around here and talked anime shop with you all.

I perused quite bit of the earlier pages, but not nearly all, and I saw a great deal of my old favorite shows being discussed. Some of the ones I Truly have a soft spot for, but didn’t see any mention of are
Riding Bean

Is there any love for any of these oldies but goodies around here?

That's by the Gunsmith Cats guy, right? I kickstarted his OVA project, which should hopefully be delivering next year. It was tangentially related to the Gunsmith Cats AnimEigo kickstarter I supported to get Blu-Rays released for that OVA series.

I'm a big fan of the original Macross, largely due to watching Robotech as a kid. I have no love for Harmony Gold, though, as they consistently block more Macross from releasing. I can't help but wonder if Harmony Gold could rake in more money by licensing all Macross products exclusively (y'know, if they want to play evil corporation), but instead they're exclusively holding onto Robotech, just Robotech, and frustrating any potential fans they could have.

Twelve Kings wrote:

Hello, folks. I’m new around these parts, but I feel like it’d be super cool if I just camped around here and talked anime shop with you all.

I perused quite bit of the earlier pages, but not nearly all, and I saw a great deal of my old favorite shows being discussed. Some of the ones I Truly have a soft spot for, but didn’t see any mention of are
Plastic Little
El Hazard: The Magnificent World
The Sea Prince and the Fire Child
Riding Bean
Blue Seed
Maddox 01
Black Magic M-66
Bubblegum Crisis
Haunted Junction
Phantom Quest Corp.
Giant Robo
Robotech (Though, I did see someone whom mentioned Macross)

Is there any love for any of these oldies but goodies around here?

Of these I only seen Bubblegum Crisis and Robotech. Love Robotech and liked Bubblegum Crisis.

Twelve Kings wrote:

Giant Robo
Robotech (Though, I did see someone whom mentioned Macross)

While I recognize many of the shows on that list, these two are the only two I've actually watched. Grew up with both and they certainly were a large part of my interest in Japanese media along with Voltron.

@Baron of Hell

Wisecrack has an interesting video on the philosophy of Goblin Slayer.

I just finished Astra Lost In Space it was good

ccesarano, Riding Bean is indeed a work of Kenichi Sonoda, whom also created Gunsmith Cats. While Gunsmith Cats was a short series, Riding Bean sadly only became a one shot. That said, along with “You’re Under Arrest” and “Ah My Goddess”, it deservedly stands as one of his best works, and probably my favorite of the aforementioned shows.

I, also, agree Harmony Gold is a horrifying trash monster of a corporation... But, Robotech was such a huge departure from the popcorn children’s fare that was on the tube at the time. I captured my imagination and nearly crushed me when, unlike our cartoons, had main characters, whom I dearly loved, die... It was traumatic. I’d never been so affected by a show. I wanted more, but on our shores it was not to be for many years to come.

Carole and Tuesday part 2 is up on netflix.

Baron Of Hell wrote:

Carole and Tuesday part 2 is up on netflix.

Woohoo!

Some thoughts on the new season so far:

After nine years, the Modoka franchise returns with Magia Record: Puella Magi Modoka Magica Side Story based on the mobile game. I haven't looked up any spoilers on the plot, so I don't know where it is headed, but the first episode was a strong start. So great to see this anime's distinctive style again.

ID: INVADED is probably the most amazing design style this season. The physically disconnected world of the ID makes for a fantastic setting, even if some of the discoveries and deductions made there are a little out there (which works for a dream like world).

Somali and the Forest Spirit had a great first episode. It is a low tension fantasy slice-of-life show with the father-figure and child bonding themes, invoking similar themes as If It's for My Daughter, I'd Even Defeat a Demon Lord, Bunny Drop, Hakumei and Mikochi, and The Ancient Magus' Bride (without the slave-bride creepiness).

ROOM CAMP is a welcome reunion with some of the characters from Laid Back Camp, even if it is a short format anime that looks to be a showcase of the Yamanashi prefecture.

BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense's first episode was adorable! Convinced by a friend to play her first game, an MMO, the main character is left to create and level her character alone. She makes a character where she puts all her points into defense and, unable to be hurt by most things, starts a very care-free, easy-going, and cute adventure in the MMO world.

Its a good season for animal-ear-girl lovers, with a new series is the always cute Show by Rock!! franchise, the silly Seton Academy: Join the Pack!, and the cat-girl overload of the NekoparA anime.

Not everything is good, however. Plunderer had an interesting idea that was completely wasted on perverted, and creepy, overtones. The idea that everyone's life was tied to a count of something that they had to keep doing in order to prevent being dragged to "the abyss" intrigued me, but the hero is a creepy, hopeless lecher, the first villain is a sleazebag rapist (is that redundant?), and our female's protagonist's number is on her inner thigh, meaning others are constantly looking up her skirt and/or forcing her legs apart to check her count... I almost dropped the show five minutes in, but gave it a chance. I shouldn't have.

I loved Bubblegum Crisis, El Hazard, Black Magic M-66 isn't my favorite but I love me some Masamune Shirow (Appleseed, Dominion, Ghost in the Shell), and "Robotech" (but really more Macross 2 and Macross Plus)

But I will one up you old school style with Escaflowne, Ninja Scroll, Gundam (80, Char's Counterattack, Stardust Memory, Wing) Megazone 23, Venus Wars, Record of Lodoss War, Original Naruto...