Autumn 2019 First Impressions – Part 4

So far I think my new system for first impressions has been working out pretty well. Even just plugging along on the weekends, I’m more than half done with the new series already (excluding continuations and sequels… of which there are seemingly a whole ton this season). I’ve even had time to finish watching some of the stuff from last season that I wasn’t able to make time for, which likely means there’ll be some more series reviews on the horizon.

Just to reiterate, the intention of writing shorter reviews at the outset is to give myself more time to follow-up and write on other topics as well. Hopefully this will lead to a more robust blogging landscape around here.

Content Warning: The Blade of the Immortal review includes some violent imagery in the screen captures that accompany it.

Stand My Heroes: Piece of Truth

The heroine is a new officer who works under the Narcotics Control Department of the Ministry of Health, a.k.a Matori. Narcotic medicines don’t work on her, and the story begins with her just entering the department and starting work with other officers. – MAL

Streaming: Funimation

Episodes: 12

Source: Mobile Game

Episode Summary: Rei Izumi has just returned from probation after botching a recent drug sting. Despite this, her mentor has requested that she serve an important recruiting role on STAND, a new group established to investigate drug-related crime. Rei takes on the task, but discovers quickly that trying to convince individuals to set aside their normal work and join a fledgling team is anything but easy.

For starters, there are several folks who outright don’t respect her. Because she was hired in part due to a rare drug immunity she has, many of the other personnel believe that she was given special treatment. Some of the individuals on her recruiter list are also civilians or individuals who operate on the outskirts of the law, which makes logistical things difficult. When Rei attends a party to try to recruit the head of a conglomerate, it’s during an attempt on that person’s life that she manages to prove her own mettle.

Impressions: I was wondering if or when we’d get a straight-up otome game adaptation this season, and here we are. This intro episode has all the hallmarks of an anime adapted directly from a game, including the annoying tendency to dump character info about all the potential romantic choices into the first episode. I’ve started to ignore these sorts of introductions because I can’t remember all the characters in the first place, and expect that if any of them become important to the show’s plot at some point, their increased presence will do the work of making them more familiar. In any case, the episode spends a lot of energy ensuring that all the male characters get some screen time, but perhaps not enough energy fleshing out the plot situation.

Perhaps the biggest hurdle, however, is that I’m left with a lot of mixed feelings about Rei, the protagonist. There are times when it’s stated that she’s very competent and talented (which is how she’s given the recruiter responsibility), but there are other times when her skills are called into question and she’s accused of riding on her biological talents. And then still other times when her biology and gender and all the complicated trappings and baggage that comes along with that are under criticism by certain characters. It’s difficult to know whether the series itself is attempting to comment on these gender-related expectations or just using some of the characters to parrot out-of-date attitudes for the purpose of creating a certain atmosphere. One “successful” part of the episode is the scene during which Rei is pursuing the suspect on the yacht and has to descend a metal staircase. Recalling an earlier situation in which one of the men criticized her for wearing high-heeled pumps, she takes off her shoes to continue the chase. Many companies in Japan require high-heels for women as part of company dress codes, and this has become a large issue for Japanese feminists as of late (for good reason – high-heels are uncomfortable as heck), so its inclusion as a point of growth for the protagonist is interesting.

I think that, once this series gets past all the character intros and allows things to unfold more organically, it could probably be a more solid series than its current MAL score might suggest (I don’t really trust numerical ratings anywhere in the first place, but take a series made for women centered around a woman and some hot guys and you tend to get a certain type of person providing ratings who wouldn’t otherwise have watched the series in the first place). As it is, though, this episode doesn’t accomplish a whole lot besides introducing a lot of very similar-looking male hotties, and while I can appreciate that on a basic level, there’s not much else to chew on yet.

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Pros: Some commentary (all be it simplistic) on sexist double-standards in the workplace. Nice animation.

Cons: The first episode is mostly a revolving door of different male characters with crappy attitudes. Some weird sexism.

Content Warnings: Some images of violence. Fist-fighting.

Grade: C

Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?!

When she turns ten years old, Adele von Ascham is hit with a horrible headache–and memories of her previous life as an eighteen-year-old Japanese girl named Misato Kurihara. That life changed abruptly, however, when Misato died trying to aid a little girl and met god. During that meeting, she made an odd request and asked for average abilities in her next life. But few things–especially wishes–ever go quite as planned. – ANN

Streaming: Crunchyroll

Episodes: TBA

Source: Light Novel

Episode Summary: Mile is a perfectly typical 12-year-old girl, or at least she likes to pretend that that’s her situation. In reality she’s rich girl with incredible magic powers who’s the reincarnated spirit of an above-average Japanese girl who died saving a child. Mile had one request when God offered her the chance to be reborn – rather than stand out, she asked to have completely average skills in her new world so as not to drive away potential friendships. Unfortunately, God’s interpretation of “average” was quite literal, and Mile’s skill set is the literal average between the lowest life form in her new world, and the most powerful elder dragon in the land. So she’s half as powerful as a dragon.

Mile still has some hope left on the friendship front, so she travels to a small town to attend hunter school. After she arrives she begins hearing about some kidnappings, and after encountering some other adventurers the kidnappings become personal. Together with Mavis, a knight, Reina, a fire magic user, and Pauline, a healer, Mile takes out an evil gang leader. On her first day of school, Mile discovers that, completely by chance, her new dorm-mates are those same three young women.

Impressions: This episode really hits the ground running, joining our protagonist Mile’s adventures already in progress. My understanding, based on reactions from novel readers, is that this approach doesn’t do a great job of fleshing out Mile’s situation – something which is handled better in the chronological approach of the original story. As someone who’s not familiar with the source material, however, I found it a little bit refreshing being able to skip the typical isekai situation-building and cut right to the chase. So far the tone of the story has been really “sassy” and humorous, so I feel like an approach that subverts the typical genre expectations fits well with the atmosphere.

“Sassy” or “snarky” are good terms to describe Mile herself, who’s at once attempting to hide the fact of her true name and becoming offended by the fact that she comes across as a “country girl.” She dislikes the fact that her magic is extremely powerful, yet makes constant and effective use of it for her own convenience. And she gripes about being perceived as a young girl (due to her short stature and flat chest) because her memories are that of a person much older (and extremely genre-savvy), yet her behavior is as immature as they come. She’s a weird little ball of contradictions, and I found a lot of humor in that. Now that we’re getting some more isekai series that center girls and women again, it’s kind of nice to see these types of characters navigate the modern genre tropes and find unique ways of existing within them that don’t boil down to simplistic power fantasies.

There are a few things that miss the mark in this first episode. The first is the existence of a mascot character who feels extremely shoehorned-in. My understanding is that this is a creation of the anime adaptation, and it’s one that doesn’t seem to add anything. The sheer volume (pun not intended) of boob-related gags and commentary is a little frustrating as well. Speaking as a woman, the constant breast size comparisons must be a storytelling invention of people who didn’t grow up having a body like mine; I can’t remember a time in my own life when I was so obsessed with comparing breast size with my female friends and I feel like it’s not as common as some people would like to assume (or fantasize about).

All in all this was a pretty decent first episode, with some chuckle-worthy moments. I worry that such an OP protagonist might get a little boring after a while, but in small doses I found her very amusing.

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Pros: The protagonist is entertaining. The first episode doesn’t waste any time getting into the thick of things.

Cons: The mascot character is unnecessary. Too much boob-related humor.

Content Warnings: The baddie in episode 1 is a creepy lolicon. Slapstick violence. Young children in peril.

Grade: B-

Z/X: Code Reunion

The signing of a peace treaty has secured a tenuous ceasefire between mankind and the Zex, beings who emerged from space/time rifts connected to mysterious, distant worlds. Partnered with a Zex named Rigel, Azumi Kakamigahara must shoulder the fate of her own idyllic world. The unlikely pair head to newly established Fujimisaki Academy, where their destinies await. – ANN

Streaming: Hidive

Episodes: TBA

Source: Card Game

Episode Summary: Many years ago, dark portals appeared on Earth and through them came beings called Z/X (or “Zex”) who were warring with one-another across five dimensions. Azumi, just a young girl at the time, came to see these anomalies as a fact of life until she took ill and spent several years in a coma and in treatment. After awakening, she was approached by a Z/X named Rigel and asked to form a partnership. Because Azumi longed to see the outside world again, she accepted the pact.

Azumi and Rigel have been invited to attend a special school into which several high-level Z/X and human partnerships exist. Just as they arrive at the campus and begin meeting their peers, the school falls under attack by a terrifying space object. Rigel reveals her true abilities in order to defend Azumi, but Azumi is still injured. Can this group of youngsters help defend the planet from all-out war?

Impressions: This series is technically a sequel and I considered relegating it to my upcoming sequels round-up, but it seemed distinct enough from its predecessor (same universe, different story) that I couldn’t really justify it. That, and I remember pretty much nothing about Z/X Ignition, so this is like an entirely new series to me anyway.

That’s probably the best way to sum up this episode – it’s a thing that exists in the world. I’m not big on the anime-adjacent collectible card games that have become popular over the past several years; as someone who collects other things (mostly figurines, anime DVDs and Blu-rays, and J-fashion) I’ve just elected to spend my money and energy elsewhere. I don’t really have a good perspective on what makes these games popular beyond the obvious character collection/hoarding and sometimes the artwork. That said, I’m sure there’s some appeal to fans. What I’m trying to say, however, is that when a game’s mechanics appear within a narrative medium in a blatant and obvious manner, rather than being allowed to manifest organically, I feel like I’m just not the correct audience. This episode isn’t nearly the worst offender in that regard, but it’s still fairly obvious from the character designs (especially the Z/X) and the mechanical elements (the bracelets that the humans wear to interact with their partner Z/X) that there’s a game element at play.

One thing I do appreciate about this episode is that it gives the illusion that the story will revolve around the school-related interactions of its characters, and one might assume some kind of tournament arc. But the school is literally destroyed in the final few moments of the first episode, with every character suddenly left to fend for themselves. While not much may come of the series itself, that alone is a pretty gutsy move. Even so, I’m not particularly inspired to watch more of this to find out what happens.

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Pros: The episode takes a sharp left turn at the end, which is at least surprising.

Cons: The plot setup has the flavor of a game that it never entirely sheds.

Content Warnings: Some mild nudity. Bloodless but large-scale violence.

Grade: C-

Kandagawa Jet Girls

Jet Racing’s wet-n-wild combo of PWC racing and watergun sharpshooting has become mega-popular across the world. Rin Namiki wants in on the action, and after meeting the cool and gorgeous Misa Aoi, it looks like Rin’s dreams are finally in reach! – Hidive

Streaming: Hidive

Episodes: 12

Source: Original

Episode Summary: Rin’s mother was a master jet-racer, a sport combining high-powered jet skis and rifles. As a teenager, she moves to Asakusa to help make her dreams of following in her mother’s footsteps come true. Unfortunately Rin is naive and easily-distracted, so she ends up meeting a lot of people around town before finally making her way to her dormitory later in the evening. It’s there that she finds out her roommate is Misa, one of the many people she met earlier in the day (though one who’s a bit of a loner).

Misa has her own jet-racing goals, but something seems to be holding her back. While she’s fishing at the riverside one afternoon Rin joins her in yet another attempt to solidify their non-starter of a friendship. When adversaries appear and demand use of the river, Misa is ready to get out of their way without a fight, but Rin sees the injustice in the situation and stands up to them. They decide to decide things via jet race, despite the fact that Rin is inexperienced.

Impressions: I’m always on the lookout for original anime. As I’ve mentioned many times I feel that stories written for anime specifically have the advantage of being constructed with the limitations and advantages of the medium in mind, so they tend to feel more complete. Of course, there are plenty of moments where anime series defy expectations, for good or ill.

I truly believe that everyone is entitled to their own kinks, but I find few things as disconcerting as inadvertently wandering directly into the manifest expression of those kinks. While like most creators, the director of this series has worked on a wide range of projects over the years, looking deeper into their catalog of work, an unsurprising trend surfaces. They have a history of animating on or directing series such as Eiken, Queen’s Blade (and specifically providing the character design for Cattleya), Qwaser of Stigmata, Manyuu Hikenchou, AIKa R16: Virgin Mission, Maken-ki… For those of us who’ve been in the fandom a while, the connection should be clear, but to clarify for those who are still in the dark, these particular titles can roughly be summed up by big boobs and panty flashes. I suspect this director has a fondness and a talent for such material, as the camera angles in use demonstrate a very conscious framing of the characters’ bodies in the ways that best express these attributes.

As for me, I’m not interested in this. I’m not keen on the sexualization of teenage girls in the first place, and when the material is as unsubtle as it is throughout this episode, it distracts me from any other positive aspects of the episode there may be to enjoy. When the elements of the story seem to exist only to provide a minimal framework for its salacious goals, I generally tap-out pretty quickly. But if you’re looking for a series where one girl literally shoots a water bullet into another girl’s butthole multiple times, well, you’re in luck.

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Pros: I like that Rin is inspired by her mother’s success (though I’m sad her mother is dead).

Cons: This series seems to be mostly a vehicle (no pun intended) for fanservice.

Content Warnings: Underage nudity, upskirt shots, non-lethal gun violence.

Grade: D

Blade of the Immortal

Manji is a crass, violent samurai with a special ability: he cannot die. Cursed with immortality by the nun Yobikuni as punishment for his ruthless deeds, he has grown weary of his ageless life. The only way to lift the curse is to slay 1,000 evil men. So Manji wanders Japan, shedding the blood of the wicked on his quest to finally die. – ANN

Streaming: Amazon

Episodes: 24

Source: Manga

Episode Summary: Rin bore witness to the murder of her father and the rape of her mother at the hands of members of the Itto-ryu sword school, and since that time she’s sought revenge for these heinous crimes. In the interim, the Itto-ryu have only gained power, and this revenge seems further and further away. An old woman points Rin toward the slayer of 100 men, a man named Manji, and tells her to hire him on as a bodyguard.

Manji lives his life alone, and resists Rin’s vengeful quest. Righteousness and evil are in the eye of the beholder, and he seeks only to fight evil men. But if Rin is able to prove her conviction to him, he may consider helping her. As Rin faces off against a foe, Manji appears and is quickly dismembered, but his body houses a secret – he’s cursed with immortality until the time that he kills a thousand evil men. Only then will he be allowed to die.

Impressions: Art can be beautiful, and it can be horrifying. And sometimes both of those things are truly in the eye of the beholder.

I was around for the mediocre Bee Train adaptation of this story back in 2008. I think many of us believed that the art style of the original manga was something that just couldn’t be captured or portrayed in animated form, and kind of left things at that. The series, ended about 1-cour and we all mostly forgot about it. It’s sort of like how Berserk keeps receiving aesthetically poor adaptations – if a story as well-regarded as that one can’t get a decent-looking full adaptation, then perhaps nothing can. This is one of those cases where I’m glad to be very wrong, as this is the one episode I’ve watched this season that I truly feel comfortable referring to as “Art.” There’s a deliberate use of color in many scenes, filters are used to evoke a sense of age and deterioration, and the character artwork feels like it’s paying respect to the manga rather than simplifying it out of convenience. The entire package feels hand crafted, and much like Manji’s quest it feels as though it’s atoning for past sins.

That said, there’s no dancing around it – this story and this episode are incredibly violent. It’s a story about swordsmen murdering one-another, after all, and like many similar samurai tales there is plenty of blood flowing and many limbs flying. The episode certainly doesn’t shy away from showing these things happening, and in many cases frames character deaths very artfully and provides plenty of time to observe them. I’m typically not really tolerant of violence, but in this case the scenes are almost like paintings, deliberately planned and richly-illustrated with plasma and hemoglobin.

One of the changes from the original material I think is notable is the symbol on Manji’s clothing. In the original, it’s actually a manji symbol – basically a swastika, which during the time period in which the story takes place would have been a symbol of good fortune. The symbol used in this incarnation is evocative of the manji, but different enough that we aren’t all being distracted by discussions about it (especially in today’s political environment).

This is certainly not a series I’d encourage anyone to watch without reservation, because the content is just so shocking and graphic that I feel like it would be kind of weird to evangelize about it to other people. But personally I’m always on the lookout for animation as art (in addition to entertainment) and I definitely want to follow this one for that reason alone.

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Pros: Visually stunning, with a lot of very deliberate use of different styles of animation. Discusses moral quandaries that come along with the concepts of good and evil.

Cons: Perhaps not a con for all, but this episode (and likely the series as a whole) is extremely violent.

Content Warnings: Rape/sexual assault (referenced), murder, violence including dismemberment, suicide, mutilation.

Grade: B+