Good morning! There won’t be a new first episode review today (and likely not tomorrow either) because I’m helping to run and monitor an online event taking place all day today. But if you haven’t had a chance to read my First Impressions for this season yet, here’s a short review of where we’re at so far.
Mars Red – A theatrical (literally) tale of vampires slowly infiltrating the world of Taisho-era Japan. Atmospheric and artful, but can the series maintain that atmosphere?
Koikimo – A misguided attempt at comedy which pits a high school student against an adult stalker. Not for sensitive viewers.
Joran the Princess of Snow and Blood – A pulpy alternate-history urban-fantasy type series about a young woman with supernatural powers helping to defend a corrupt shogunate. Intriguing set up and nice visuals, but hard to tell if there’s depth to back that up.
Those Snow White Notes – A music-focused drama that plays it fast and loose with emotions and convenient story contrivances, but which features some enthralling musical performances.
Burning Kabaddi – A sports series featuring Kabaddi. Does a good job of introducing the sport, but the atmosphere is undermined by annoying characters.
Stay tuned for further reviews as they come! The pace ought to pick up from here since I’ll be finished with two events that have taken up a lot of my time as of late.