Category: Reviews

Categories
First Impressions Reviews

Winter 2019 First Impressions – Dimension High School

One day, on his way to high school, student Junpei picks up an unusual looking rock. Thinking nothing of it, he heads to class. While in the middle of a session, the rock comes to life and transports him and four others to an animated world. To make matters more interesting, the group is introduced to a giant sphinx who is determined to take over the world. Now, to protect their world from invasion, the group must work together as anime characters and real-world humans. – ANN

Streaming: HIDIVE

Episodes: 12

Source: Original

Episode Summary: Junpei finds a strange rock one day as he’s heading to his physics tutoring session. The teacher’s lesson about the Doppler effect is about as boring as it gets, until the rock that’s stashed in Junpei’s desk begins to take on a life of its own. It is, in fact, no ordinary rock, but a life form searching for some heroes who can help save the world from certain destruction. Junpei and his classmates, along with their professor, seem like they can take up the challenge.

The students are drawn into another dimension where they appear in the form of anime characters. The novelty of their situation wears off quickly when a giant, threatening Sphinx arrives and starts demanding the answers to riddles. It all seems like fun and games until they get a question wrong; the Sphinx then eats their teacher’s spirit. Luckily, their lesson on the Doppler effect turns out to be more useful than they anticipated, because it turns out to be the key to solving the next puzzle. With their teacher back in hand the group returns to the real world, but only until the Sphinx’s next deadly challenge.

Continue reading “Winter 2019 First Impressions – Dimension High School”
Categories
First Impressions Reviews

Winter 2019 First Impressions – Girly Air Force

Mysterious flying creatures known as Zai suddenly appear, and in order to fight the creatures, mankind creates fighter aircraft called “Daughters,” as well as the automatic fighting mechanism “Anima,” which are shaped like human girls. The story centers on a young man named Kei Narutani, who yearns to fly in the sky, and an Anima considered to be humanity’s trump card, a girl name Gripen. – ANN

Streaming: Crunchyroll

Episodes: 12

Source: Light Novel

Episode Summary: The Xi (rhymes with “sigh”) are an enigmatic, hostile group of aerial fighters currently targeting humankind. Kei Narutani and his adopted sister Minghua are attempting to evacuate Shanghai by carrier ship when they come under attack from a squad of Xi fighters. The Japanese Air Self-Defense Force arrives to defend the civilian vessels, but they’re no match for the maneuverability and speed of the enemy planes. All seems lost until the arrival of a mysterious red-hulled fighter jet that navigates as well as the Xi and shoots them down before crashing into the ocean. Kei exits his evacuation vessel to rescue the pilot – a beautiful pink-haired young woman – who states some incomprehensible words before kissing him and passing out again.

Kei feels like this experience may have just been a dream, and after he and Minghua manage to settle into their new lives in Japan it might as well have been one. Kei can’t leave the experience behind, however, and even begins to research joining the Japan Air Self-Defense Force because of it despite Minghua’s protests. As he’s heading home from the convenience store, Kei swears he sees the mysterious red fighter plane being taken by truck to the local air-force base, so he sneaks out later that evening to see if he can catch a real glimpse of it. Minghua follows him, and they’re both blindfolded and taken onto the base. As it would happen, Kei’s presence seems to be the only thing keeping the animus, the artificial pilot of the experimental jet, from rebooting itself. He’s invited to join the project in hopes of helping to finally defeating the Xi.

Continue reading “Winter 2019 First Impressions – Girly Air Force”
Categories
First Impressions Reviews

Winter 2019 First Impressions – The Quintessential Quintuplets

One day, a poor high school second-year named Futaro Uesugi comes across a private tutoring gig with good pay, but his pupils are his classmates. In fact, all five are quintuplets, each gorgeous but also on the brink of flunking out of school. – ANN

Streaming: Crunchyroll and Funimation

Episodes: 12

Source: Manga

Episode Summary: Futaro Uesugi’s family doesn’t have much money, so he’s learned to pinch pennies wherever he can. Luckily for him he’s a pretty smart student, so the fact that most of the other students look down on him isn’t as bothersome as it could be. One day he ends up fighting for a seat in the lunchroom with a girl named Itsuki who he doesn’t recognize. They get off on the wrong foot and sling a few jabs at one-another. It isn’t until later that Futaro learns that she’s transferred into his class, and his father has gotten him a job tutoring her for a very high price.

Futaro soon learns that this is no normal tutoring job – Itsuki is one of five quintuplet sisters, and each of them is in danger of failing their high school classes. Each of the sisters has their own unique personality and they all have their own special ways of weaseling out of Futaro’s study sessions. Once Itsuki gets a taste of Futaro’s living situation (and meets his cute younger sister), her perception of the situation starts to change a bit. This tutoring job may be more difficult than anticipated, but Futaro will make sure that all the sisters pass their classes, if it’s the last thing he does.

Continue reading “Winter 2019 First Impressions – The Quintessential Quintuplets”
Categories
First Impressions Reviews

Winter 2019 First Impressions – Domestic Girlfriend

High schooler Natsuo is hopelessly in love with his cheerful and popular teacher, Hina. However, one day at a mixer, he meets a moody girl by the name of Rui and ends up sleeping with her. Soon after, his father announces that he’s getting remarried to a woman with two daughters of her own. And who shows up in tow, other than both Hina and Rui. – ANN

Streaming: HIDIVE

Episodes: 12

Source: Manga

Episode Summary: Natsuo has been nursing a crush on his teacher Hina-Sensei for quite a while. In his mind he knows it’ll never work out – he’s a student, she’s a teacher, and there are social rules about this sort of thing. But he can’t help but read into each and every one of their interactions. In his fragile state, Natsuo agrees to have sex with a girl named Rui who he meets at a mixer, no strings attached; she’s just interested in knowing what the big deal about sex is. After it’s all said and done, she demands that they treat each-other as strangers going forward.

That turns out to be a promise that Natsuo can’t keep, because his single father has chosen to remarry, and not only does his new wife happen to be Rui’s mother, but Rui’s older sister is none other than Hina-Sensei herself. Their living situation becomes tense for multiple reasons, not the least of which is that Rui happens to catch Natsuo going in for a kiss while Hina-nee is drunk and incapacitated.

Continue reading “Winter 2019 First Impressions – Domestic Girlfriend”
Categories
First Impressions Reviews

Winter 2019 First Impressions – Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka

Three years ago, alien invaders ravaged the Earth–until they were defeated by a group of young women blessed with powers from a mysterious source. The girls went back to their normal lives after vanquishing the ghastly monsters, but that time of peace is about to end. The same malevolent creatures have resurfaced, which means it’s time for the Magical Girl Special Ops force to head back to the battlefront and defend mankind. – ANN

Streaming: Crunchyroll and Funimation

Episodes: TBA

Source: Manga

Episode Summary: Three years ago, alien life forms called Disas invaded Earth. An alliance was formed with a galactic entity, and magical girls (girls with the ability to join with spirits) became the planet’s best hope of defending against the alien menace. Asuka was one such magical girl whose efforts help to thwart the enemy. Though she’s left her fighting life behind she still feels the mental and emotional aftermath of the terrible experiences she had during battle.

High school is a different environment entirely, and while Asuka doesn’t quite fit in among her peers, she does eventually make a couple of friends who choose to help Asuka engage with her physicality (through track) and enjoyment of reading (through the literature club). Even when talks of re-forming a magical military squad start to trickle down to her, Asuka is adamant about living and enjoying this new, normal life – until a terrorist attack puts one of her new friends in harm’s way. The Disas may be long gone, but the world is still filled with crime, war, terrorism, and hatred; Asuka may have discovered a purpose worthy of bringing her out of retirement.

Continue reading “Winter 2019 First Impressions – Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka”
Categories
First Impressions Reviews

Winter 2019 First Impressions – Kemurikusa

A story about three sisters struggling to survive in a desolate world surrounded by decaying buildings and red fog. The story revolves around Rin, a girl with an updo. There’s also Ritsu, the big sister who has cat ears and is always calm, and Rina, the innocent, cheerful one dressed in a maid’s costume. Just what is it that these sisters are after in this mysterious world? – Amazon

Streaming: Amazon Prime Video

Episodes: 12

Source: Original

Episode Summary: Rin and her sister Rinako are out on a dangerous search for fresh water. They happen to find a hidden pool of it in an abandoned ship that’s been grounded on their island. They have little time to celebrate, because they’re constantly being hunted by the gigantic red bugs that fill the air with toxic fog. Rin dispatches one, but Rinako isn’t so lucky; though she takes one out on her own, her injuries are too severe and she fades away. Rin must take this bad news back to big sister Ritsu and the remaining four Rinas waiting back at home.

Ritsu uses her power to siphon the water into their holding tank, bringing all manner of debris with it. Soon they hear a splash and discover a very strange-looking bug swimming in the tank. This bug can talk, calls himself “Wakaba,” and almost looks human, but the sisters are cautious. Rin attempts to dispatch him by using one of their special leaves, but the glowing green power only seems to heal this strange creature. When another bug attacks, Wakaba tries to prove he isn’t a threat by leading Rin to its hiding spot. Even so, Rin doesn’t know what to do about him and finds herself confused.

Continue reading “Winter 2019 First Impressions – Kemurikusa”
Categories
First Impressions Reviews

Winter 2019 First Impressions – Meiji Tokyo Renka

On the night of a crimson full moon, high school girl Mei Ayazuki, lured by the magic of mysterious magician Charlie, enters into a box. When she awakens, she’s in Tokyo during the Meiji Period. The lost and confused Mei is aided by Ougai Mori and Shunso Hishida, who take her in their carriage to the Rokumeikan, a lavish ballroom full of powerful high officials. where she meets historic figures such as Kyoka Izumi, Otojiro Kawakami, Yakumo Koizumi, and Goro Fujita. In this world, during the “Misty Hour” between sundown and sunup, “mononoke” appear. Those who can see them are called “Tamayori,” and Mei herself possesses this power. As she navigates an unfamiliar life, romance begins to bloom between Mei and these men — and the power of the tamayori will only strengthen their bonds. She may choose to never return to her original time. – ANN

Streaming: Crunchyroll

Episodes: 12

Source: Visual Novel

Episode Summary: Mei Ayazuki is a consummate loner. As a child she had many friends but as it turned out, her ability to converse with ghosts and spirits put a barrier between herself and others. Now she spends most of her time alone listening to music and blocking out the strange voices who sometimes speak to her in the dark. With her headphones on, Mei wanders onto a festival grounds and finds herself the volunteer in a magic show. As she steps in a magic box that will supposedly cause her to disappear, she feels a strange, relaxing sensation flow through her body.

Mei awakens in the middle of a park, and no sooner does she get to her feet than she’s nearly run over by a horse-drawn carriage. A handsome man steps through its doors and offers her safe passage to his destination; though Mei is disoriented, she has trouble refusing, especially since she can’t really remembers where she lives. She finds herself at a grand ball, and as the names of some of the young men at the party begin to make their way around to her, she realizes that they’re all somewhat famous writers. They in turn seem to be fascinated by her ability to speak to ghosts. What could be the mechanism behind this time slip, and can Mei ever find her way home?

Continue reading “Winter 2019 First Impressions – Meiji Tokyo Renka”
Categories
First Impressions Reviews

Winter 2019 First Impressions – My Roommate is a Cat

A shy novelist adopts a cute stray cat and starts to slowly open himself to the world. Both his and the cat’s point of view are included in each story. – ANN

Streaming: Crunchyroll and Funimation

Episodes: 12

Source: Manga

Episode Summary: Subaru is a novelist whose parents recently passed away in a tragic accident. Since then he’s become withdrawn and only really interacts with his editor – when he needs to. One day, while visiting his parents’ grave, a stray cat leaps from the shadows and pounces on Subaru’s sashimi, and the author has an epiphany: his next novel will feature a murder mystery where a cat is the culprit!

Subaru brings the cat home and starts to take care of it while continuing to indulge in some of his bad habits as a writer – neglecting sleep, forgetting to eat, and generally just losing touch with reality until the completion of the manuscript. When he passes out from exhaustion, the cat’s presence turns out to be a blessing. In the aftermath, he finds out that he might have eaten some of the cat’s food in his dire state. The cat, for their part, can’t understand why this particular human is so strange.

Continue reading “Winter 2019 First Impressions – My Roommate is a Cat”
Categories
First Impressions Reviews

Winter 2019 First Impressions – Wataten! An Angel Flew Down to Me

Miyako Hoshino is a shy college student and otaku. Miyako’s younger sister Hinata, who is a fifth grader, has a classmate and friend named Hana. When they meet, Miyako falls for Hana at first sight. – ANN

Streaming: Crunchyroll

Episodes: 12

Source: Manga

Episode Summary: Miyako is a college student with a talent for baking and sewing cute cosplay outfits for herself and her younger sister, Hinata. One afternoon, Hinata brings home a friend – Hana-chan – and Miyako is suddenly at a loss for words. Though her otaku nature has always left her shy around strangers, seeing Hana gives Miyako a serious case of the butterflies. Hana, on the other hand, is skeeved by Miyako’s behavior.

Miyako decides that she wants to become friends with Hana, and begs Hinata to invite her over to the house again. Hana happens to be very food-motivated, so Miyako offers her sweets in exchange for her mere presence. This forces Hana to override her strong self-preservation instinct. Miyako eventually convinces Hana to try on some cosplay, which turns into an impromptu photo session. Eventually, Hana decides that she can put up with Miyako’s… eccentricities if there are enough baked goods involved.

Read more “Winter 2019 First Impressions – Wataten! An Angel Flew Down to Me”
Categories
First Impressions Reviews

Winter 2019 First Impressions – The Promised Neverland

Emma, Norman, and Ray are the three most brilliant children the Grace Field House has produced in decades. Unlike in a typical orphanage, they, and their fellow children, eat well and are given an intensive education. However, despite living in a peaceful environment with fun games and a caring mother, there’s something not quite right. When six year old Connie is “adopted” by foster parents, she forgets her favorite stuffed rabbit, and Emma and Norman sneak out to return it to her. When they arrive at the scene, the two realize exactly why they had always been isolated from the outside world. – ANN

Streaming: Crunchyroll, Funimation, Hulu, and HIDIVE

Episodes: TBA

Source: Manga

Episode Summary: Emma, Ray, and Norman are three orphans at Grace Field House. Kind-hearted Emma loves all the other children deeply as members of the only family she’s ever known. They’re cared for by “Mom,” a kindly young woman who ensures their safety. The children spend their days learning and playing together among the fields and forests. However, they’re forbidden from approaching the gate or the fence that surrounds the property, because of untold dangers.

When Conny, one of the younger children, is adopted into a foster family, the other children wish her a tearful goodbye and ask her to write them letters before Mom escorts her to the world outside. Emma realizes that Conny left her favorite stuffed animal, and she and Norman rush to return it to her. As they approach the open gate, however, they discover something so terrible that, as the traumatic images begin to settle in, they realize that their only option is to plan an escape for themselves and the other children.

Continue reading “Winter 2019 First Impressions – The Promised Neverland”