This past week was a very busy and productive week for me, here at the blog. I had a couple of days off, so I managed to plow through quite a few first impressions in a relatively short amount of time. However, I realized quickly that that sort of productivity comes with a price – burnout. I spent so much time in my chair writing that I didn’t use my time away from work to actually… not work. Rookie error! So now I’m planning to try to come in for a softer landing by spacing the remaining reviews out a little bit more. My goal is to be done with these prior to the end of January, which, with not very many left to write up, should be do-able.
I got around to a wide variety of episodes last week, which was definitely helpful. I used some of the very basic research I typically do before watching something to try to space out series with similar genres or stories (rather than just doing them all in general order of release like I typically tend to do). I think that made the process much more pleasant.
Check out the links below to see if there’s anything you’ve missed, and thanks as always for reading!
- Slow Loop – This story of a blended family and the two step-sisters who find that they enjoy fishing (and cooking up the spoils) had a pretty pleasant first outing. While I doubt it will achieve any Laid-Back Camp level of pure coziness, I appreciated that it seemed willing to address some of the tension and emotions surrounding two families coming together as one.
- Love of Kill – Well, the premise of two professional assassins coming together in work and perhaps also romance sounded like it could be a lot of fun, but the execution managed to play up the creepy stalker angle to the point that it was no longer pleasant to watch.
- Orient – This fairly straightforward shounen action outing got some extra points for some cool posing and the appearance of some kind of magical motorcycle (which gave me a chuckle), but ultimately didn’t seem to offer much to those who aren’t already invested in the genre.
- Tribe Nine – While I might normally find baseball to be somewhat uninteresting, this take on the sport, which is absolutely over-the-top and filled with goofy gadgets and big personalities, injects some additional interest. It’s also colorful and funny, definitely a bonus!
- In the Land of Leadale – This isekai story is pleasant enough, as its heroine is reborn into a game she enjoyed while in the hospital, but it doesn’t prove the necessity of its “rebirth” (or “trapped in a game,” I suppose) mechanic right away.
- Sasaki and Miyano – A slow-burn tale of the budding romance between two high school boys has a very sweet, cute feel to it. It also does a good job of exploring some of the internal feelings of its characters. Beware of some possessive behavior and a bit of slapstick goofiness, however.
- Life With an Ordinary Guy Who Reincarnated Into a Total Fantasy Knockout – This premiere episode manages to tippy-toe around a minefield of gender-related material and features some pretty damn great comedic moments. This truly unusual show is certainly eye-catching with its ridiculous title, but can it manage to not be gross?
- The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation out of Debt – The titular prince just wants to sell his country and lead a more private life, but the problem is that he’s too competent. I have some mixed feelings about this premiere, although there are moments that are pretty funny.
- Cue! – A group of completely inexperienced voice actresses are hired by a brand new management company, and are immediately put through the wringer. I think this premise is sort of interesting, but the episode introduces too many characters in this intro episode, revealing its very obvious game-related roots.
- Akebi’s Sailor Uniform – The story of a middle school girl and her desire to wear a sailor-style uniform to school. This episode is delicate and beautiful, but also contains some truly odd (and occasionally obvious) content that could be interpreted as fetish bait.
- The Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest – A sorcerer attempts to game his world’s power system by reincarnating himself in order to gain a more powerful crest. While he’s out of commission several cultural changes occur and he manages to uncover some demon infiltration. This is a competently-made episode with some interesting plot points, but overall I didn’t find it that compelling.