Winter 2021 New Anime – Premieres for Monday, January 4th 2021

Hello friends! So it seems the season has started in earnest now. I, for one, am excited to see whether anything I was excited about actually pans out. We’ll see!

I’m going to be prioritizing non-sequel material for the time being, as I’d rather get a handle on the unknowns rather than the familiar anime about which we’ve probably already made our decisions. Hopefully I’ll be able to carve out some time to talk about my favorite sequel premieres, too.

I’m attempting to group premieres together by premiere date; if a lot of shows premiere on the same date I may have to break some of them into multiple parts. I’m still testing out this change in format and hope to land on something that works for the long term.

Use the links below to navigate to the review you’re interested in:

Otherside Picnic
Suppose a Kid From the Last Dungeon Boonies Moved to a Starter Town?
Gekidol

Otherside Picnic

Streaming: Funimation

Episodes: TBA

Source: Novel

Story Summary: Another world exists adjacent to our own and it’s a place of desolate landscapes and bizarre dangers. Sorao becomes trapped within the “Otherside,” and begins to worry about the fallout if she were to die there, but she’s rescued in the nick of time by Toriko, a blond woman wielding a gun. The world of the Otherside may be one filled with strange entities once thought only to be rumors, but Toriko’s enthusiasm for exploration, as well as Sorao’s analytical mindset, mean that it’s also a place where these “partners in crime” can venture together.

Impressions: If I had to choose one word to describe this episode, it would be “atmospheric.” The titular “Otherside” of this series is a place that’s just familiar enough to denizens of our world that its particular differences elicit a feeling of discomfort. While there’s immediate danger there in the form of unfamiliar creatures that prey on the mind, it’s the wide-open emptiness dotted with half-collapsed buildings and other industrial decay that feels wholly unsettling. I’ve had weird half-nightmares set in places like this, so there’s definitely a personal angle to my reaction that added to my experience. I found it reminiscent of the settings in series like Girls’ Last Tour and Kemurikusa, or even the latter bits of From the New World, in that it suggests a place that exists in the aftermath of a disaster.

Beyond that, I think the most important part of this episode is the establishment of Sorao’s and Toriko’s budding relationship. This series bills itself as a yuri sci-fi story, so the chemistry between the two leads is paramount. I like their odd-couple dynamic; it’s said that opposites attract, and Sorao’s more reserved (and slightly sarcastic) attitude butts up against Toriko’s bubbly, outgoing nature in a way that adds a little bit of a spark without feeling too adversarial. It’s a fun dynamic that helps to stave off any overwhelming sense of foreboding provided by the things the two encounter on their initial adventure.

Pros: I like that this show features adult characters. Sure, there are plenty of great anime out there that star high school students (or younger) and the ages of the characters aren’t necessarily limiting if the story itself is good. However, I, like most people, like to feel seen and acknowledged in the media I consume, and featuring adult-aged main characters (even if they’re not long past their high school days) serves as a subtle reminder that one’s life isn’t suddenly devoid of adventures after turning 18.

As I mentioned earlier, the overall aesthetic of the alternate dimension is very cool. The “Wiggle-Waggle” creatures (yes, that’s what they’re called in the translation) that serve as a terrifying foe for the characters are somewhat ill-defined, but in a way that almost makes them seem more terrifying; I think we as humans find some safety in being able to categorize things and fear those creatures that defy categorization. Are these beings ghosts? Physically-manifested fears? It’s not made clear other than it’s the characters’ ability to face them head on that serves as their defeat.

Cons: The only major issue I had with the episode is its weird use of CG. Occasionally some of the longer camera shots use 3DCG to depict the characters, and all I can really say about it is that the quality is extremely clunky. What’s also strange is that this type of animation isn’t used consistently; there are similar long shots that use traditional 2D animation. It just leads to certain scenes looking unfinished. It makes me question whether some of the shots were actually unfinished, because there doesn’t seem to be a rhyme or reason to when either animation technique is used.

Content Warnings: Gun violence. Body horror (mild, but involves parts of the face).

Would I Watch More? – Yes, I’m still very excited to watch more of this series. I really like stories that impart a kind of foreboding creepiness as they unfold, and this episode does a great job of depicting the Otherside as a place of both exploratory intrigue and mysterious otherworldly horrors. The first episode made me want to learn more about the mechanisms by which the characters access this other world and how they’ll use their time spent exploring it.

Suppose a Kid form the Last Dungeon Boonies Moved to a Starter Town?

Streaming: Funimation

Episodes: TBA

Source: Light Novel

Story Summary: Ever since he was young, Lloyd has wanted to join the military. When he’s finally old enough, he travels to the big city to demonstrate his mettle. When he arrives at the witch Maria’s place, she doesn’t think much of the kindhearted kid on her doorstep who seems to unexpectedly know a thing or two about some pretty high-level magic (and cooking breakfast). But looks can be deceiving. Lloyd grew up far to the North where ancient heroes settled down, and his lineage makes him totally overpowered. While his physical and magical abilities might place him at the weaker end among his peers, anywhere else he’s a monster of raw ability. But will his strength and personable nature be enough to fulfill his dreams?

Impressions: If there’s one thing I’m a sucker for it’s male protagonists with gentle demeanors. Lloyd is sweet and humble because in his mind he’s nothing special with mediocre abilities. There’s an element of humor in the way his perception clashes with the reality of what he can do; in one scene, he beats up a giant locust before tossing it completely out of town as another character looks on in awe. He immediately gains the attention of several attractive young women, as well as one of the military examiners helping to monitor the prospective recruits. It’s an amusing set-up with a generally funny, good-natured execution.

The one facet of the episode that I’m already having a difficult time getting past, though, is the rapidly-expanding harem; even the mayor of Lloyd’s hometown (who gets referred to as a “loli grandma,” yikes) seems to have a keen interest in him. A princess he’s nice to becomes obsessed with him after the encounter. It’s all just kind of over-the-top for what otherwise is a pretty cute and silly episode. The tone of the episode reminds me a little bit of Hayate the Combat Butler (a series I consider to be one of the only legitimate harem anime that I enjoyed), though, so perhaps not all is lost.

Pros: Like I mentioned, Lloyd is a nice cinnamon roll of a protagonist – an earnest, determined guy who’s clearly not on a power trip (because he honestly underestimates himself). I really like good-natured guys and I’m rooting for him already.

The character designs are all very soft and cute which is also to my liking. It really helps enhance the perception that the show is not meant to take itself super seriously.

Cons: The potential harem aspect just doesn’t appeal to me, and seems kind of ill-fitting to the tone of the show (which is not quite a comedy, not quite a adventure drama). That said, Lloyd’s OP abilities can probably only carry the series so far (though Bofuri did a pretty good job maintaining the gag for an entire cour), so maybe some clueless interpersonal drama is warranted.

There’s also some mild fanservice involving one particular character which just comes across kind of goofy and feels taken from a different anime series.

Content Warnings: Mild fanservice (underwear). Cartoon violence.

Would I Watch More? – I think I’ll check out another episode just to try to get more of a handle on what the series is trying to accomplish. I like the protagonist and I think some of the secondary characters have potential, but no one’s really done anything of note yet so it’s difficult to make any final decision either way.

Gekidol

Streaming: Funimation

Episodes: 12

Source: Original

Story Summary: Note: this does not cover the “Alice in Deadly School” OVA that I might look at separately if I have time.

Five years ago, several cities were torn apart by a worldwide disaster. Seria lives adjacent to an area of the destruction, which seems to have faded to background noise for most of the people in and around the area. She gets the opportunity to attend a performance of a new type of play – one which uses a technology called “Super Material Theater” or SMT to visually augment the performances of stage actors. Though she doesn’t feel as though she has the talent, she is consumed with the desire to participate in such a production. Seria gets the opportunity when she’s approached on the street by a young woman handing out flyers for Alice in Theater, a Troupe that uses the SMT technology. At an impromptu audition, Seria proves herself to have some amount of talent, but can she get past the mental roadblocks that are holding her back?

Impressions: Gekidol is one of the more frustrating premieres I’ve seen so far this season, mostly because it doesn’t seem to understand the balance between introducing a compelling setting and just using unanswered questions as window dressing. For all intents and purposes, this seems like it’ll be kind of a typical idol story, albeit one which is focused on a potentially unique kind of live theater rather than your typical pop music performance. If that’s the case, though, then why pull back to show the city from afar, a gaping hole in the ground where parts of Ikebukuro have simply been destroyed? We hear a little bit of history about what happened, but not enough details to have much of an idea about how those events are related to the characters or the stage productions they admire and participate in. I can appreciate a series trying to keep mysteries in its back pocket for later, but the introduction of this striking and disparate aspect of the show feels ham-fisted at best.

On the upside, while Seria seems like a very typical sort of protagonist, I think this somewhat atypical style of theater as well as her raw talent have the potential to combine into something entertaining. There’s a scene near the end where a few of the troupe members perform a song and dance number (in the typical idol style of pop-y hand-dancing, naturally) and it’s sort of cool to watch in isolation. The SMT technology means that the setting and costuming can change at will, which is an interesting effect (it reminded me of Sheryl Nome’s performances in Macross Frontier). This episode is uneven and some aspects are a little bit of a conundrum thus far, but I’ve seen way worse premieres over the years.

Pros: The character animation is pretty good, especially in the aforementioned dance number. One of my pet peeves is when idol performances are suddenly rendered in 3DCG (and unfortunately some of them don’t even look as good now as this 9-year-old Precure ED that I still really like). This episode at least sticks to traditional animation, and high-quality animation at that.

And, I almost hate to admit it, though the whole “world destruction angle” seems like an attempt to force uniqueness on a series that isn’t fated to be unique, it’s not completely unsuccessful since I’ve had it on my mind since I watched the episode earlier.

Cons: I’m not a huge fan of the main character Seria, who feels like kind of a nothing person so far. But I’m really not a fan of one of her friends, who spends an entire conversation in a restaurant berating her, trying to convince her that she’s not good enough to join a legitimate theater troupe. What the heck?

Content Warnings: Mild fanservice (one scene takes place outside a sex business, and there’s a buxom illustration of a woman).

Would I Watch More? – I’m planning to watch the Alice in Deadly School side OVA for the series no matter what. As for the main series? I’m still undecided. It’s definitely not very high on my priority list, but there are elements of intrigue that may be worth pursuing.