2021-11-26
My (Twitter) reactions to the first episodes of the Summer 2021 anime season
Yes, that really does say 'summer' up there. As before I've collected my reactions to the first episode of the only show I actually started watching in the summer season.
- The Case Study of Vanitas episode #1: That was stylish and reasonably interesting, although as usual it doesn't really tell me very much about what the rest of the show will be like. It hasn't left me solidly hooked, but I'll be watching the next episode. ♯
I watched three episodes of Vanitas before growing bored, and I never watched anything else. Both Magia Record and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime had continuations in the summer season, and at some point I hope to watch both (eg), but I didn't feel enthused enough to watch Slime live and Magia Record aired late and I forgot about it by the time it started.
(My experiences with the Winter 2021 season of Slime didn't leave me feeling thrilled about watching it week by week.)
Instead I spent summer 2021 reading random manga, and may mostly do that again for Fall 2021. I have feelings about the differences between reading manga and watching anime and why one has been working out better than the other right now, but I don't want to try to put them in this entry.
2021-05-02
My (Twitter) reactions to the first episodes of the Spring 2021 anime season
As before I'm collecting here all of my tweeted reactions to the first episodes I've seen (in the order that I saw them). This is delayed for various reasons.
- Mars Red episode #1: I'm pretty sure I didn't understand all of that
and I'm not sure how I feel about it, but it was definitely different
and interesting because of that. I don't know if it can sustain
everything it's trying to do and hold my interest, though.
♯
- Thunderbolt Fantasy S3 episode #1: All of these good characters are
back, bantering back and forth. We got some plotting and a bit of a
fight too, but that part was really all just a warmup (but the demon
is totally up to things, she always is).
♯
- SSSS.Dynazenon episode #1: Our protagonists clearly have plenty
going on but at the same time they didn't really do anything this
episode; they were at the mercy of fate (which may be the point,
but still). That left the big fight feeling disconnected and floating.
→
- Super Cub episode #1: That was quietly great, or at least very my
thing. The great scenery, the mood, the understated bits of (sad)
story, various little details, everything clicked for me. The night
ride was all beautiful and of course she fell asleep in her entryway.
→
- Blue Reflection Ray episode #1: That felt perfectly okay but also
underwhelming and rather slow. I got lost in the barrage of characters,
and I don't think it quite had the chops for its 'show don't tell'
attempts (or the command of atmosphere to pull off its pacing).
♯
- I've Been Killing Slimes For 300 Years And Maxed Out My Level
episode #1: That was inoffensive and ordinary. I can believe this
could have charm and appeal (and I see some gestures that way), but
the first episode didn't particularly hook me.
♯
- Joran The Princess Of Snow And Blood episode #1: That was reasonably interesting, although it also had a pretty ordinary presentation and a certain amount of cliches (and one spot felt like it was trying too hard to be edgy and adult). ♯
I've had vague ambitions of watching some more shows that looked potentially promising, but at this point it's clear that they're not going to come to pass; as I write this, some shows are on their fifth episode. My overall hit rate from first episode previews has also not encouraged me to try more, as I'm already down to three of these seven.
(Super Cub, SSSS.Dynazenon, and Thunderbolt Fantasy S3, in my order of enthusiasm.)
As is customary for me, reactions to later episodes are in a twitter conversation chain from my first episode tweets, up to where I stopped following a show.
2021-02-14
My (Twitter) reactions to the first episodes of the Winter 2021 anime season
As before I'm collecting here all of my tweeted reactions to the first episodes I've seen (in the order that I saw them). This entry is delayed for various reasons so I'm throwing in some bonus additional notes.
- Otherside Picnic episode #1: That was okay at what it did but as a
stand alone work I felt like it lacked some vital spark of engagement
amidst the frenzy of weirdness, action, and horror-ish mood. I'm not
unbiased though, since I've looked at the manga.
→
- Laid-Back Camp S2 episode #1: What can I say? Seeing young Rin
was great (especially the failures (and learning) and then the curry
cup), and then we got all the current day stuff. The magic is 100%
back (or, if you prefer, continuing).
→
(As you would expect, Laid-Back Camp has continued to be excellent.)
- So I'm a Spider, So What? episode #1: I'm predisposed to like this
for various reasons, but it was still reasonably fun although limited
by all of the setup work it had to do. I hope it gets better in future
episodes once our spider gets to do more interesting and active things.
♯
- Horimiya episode #1: This was fun and charming and nicely done.
None of these people are your usual potatoes and I can believe what's
happening with them. I don't know where the show is going to mine
drama from, though, and if I'm going to be happy watching that happen.
→
(I only just got around to watching the second episode of this, so I don't know if I'm really going to stick with it.)
- Hortensia Saga episode #1 is unfortunately not interesting enough
for me to finish. It's a collection of cliches with one of the least
convincing 'girl cosplaying as a guy' cases I've seen. I can only
conclude that everyone on her side knows it.
→
- Kid from the Last Dungeon episode #1: That was decently funny,
although not very deep. One of the things that made it work is that some
but not all of the people around Lloyd knew how powerful he was, which
led to a certain amount of tension. But it's painting pretty broadly.
♯
(I would up abandoning this part way through episode 3.)
- That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime episode #25: Partly
re-introduction to things and partly a slow-moving setup episode,
although they did put in some show-off fights at the end. It's still
fun but I kind of wish it was more engaging right now.
♯
('I wish this was more engaging' is part of my reaction to a lot of this season of Slime so far.)
- Log Horizon S3 episode #1: My immediate reaction to this episode is
that I'm not a fan of either the focus on politics or the theme of
everything falling apart. Maybe there will be a triumphant ending to
the season but right now it doesn't feel like getting there will be fun.
→
(Although I haven't dropped this officially, I haven't watched the second episode. It may turn out to be another Full Metal Panic.)
- Wonder Egg Priority episode #1: Oh wow, that was beautifully done.
Also periodically painful in a quiet way and sometimes brutal, mostly
in a 'the implied made real' kind of way. There were some very visceral
moments. (What concretely happened is basically beyond summary.)
♯
- Sk8 the Infinity episode #1: That was okay but not compelling,
especially in this busy season. I don't think the over the top nature
of some things clicked with me, but the characters and the core gimmick
of the episode were okay.
→
(I didn't watch any more of this.)
In continuing shows, I'm still enjoying Jujutsu Kaisen.