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Anime Reviews First Impressions Reviews

Winter 2022 First Impressions – Futsal Boys!!!!!

Streaming: Funimation

Episodes: 12

Source: Mixed Media Project (including a smartphone game and live-action matches).

Episode Summary: Haru Yamato couldn’t have cared less about Futsal, until he happened to catch a bit of the U-18 world cup in which Tennouji, a player from Japan, pulled out one of his special moves. Now remaking himself in Tennouji’s image (or at least getting into the sport) has become a goal of Yamato’s. On his way to his high school entrance ceremony, a seemingly-ill-fated shortcut brings him face-to-face (though upside-down) with Seiichiro Sakaki, whose Futsal skill is definitely top-tier. The two successfully use the game to dissuade some bullies from picking on a group of kids.

But Sakaki is a bit of a one-man show, and therein lies the issue; though he and Yamato want to join the Futsal club at their school and find themselves in a pickup game fending off bullies once again, it’s clear to the more experienced team members that his lack of willingness to work together with others may become an issue. Can Yamato’s youthful spirit and willingness to have fun possibly break through Sakaki’s hard, selfish shell?

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Anime Reviews First Impressions Reviews

Winter 2022 First Impressions – Rusted Armors

Streaming: Crunchyroll

Episodes: 12

Source: Multimedia project, including a stage play and Manga

Episode Summary: As war rages amongst the feudal lords all around them, the expert gunsmiths of the Saika village are defended by a group of powerful warriors who wield a selection of powerful special treasures called “Armors.” Among them is Magoichi, a warrior who arrived at the village with no memories, clutching one such Armor. Though the Armors allow those who own them to defend Saika village, their existence also draws the ire of the enemy toward the villagers more and more.

One day the village comes under attack once again. All of the lookouts are killed and the individuals holding the Armors suddenly find themselves overwhelmed and outclassed. Magoichi faces off against the leader of the enemy armor and quickly finds himself at death’s door. Just then he sees the flash of a sword as a mysterious man dressed in white comes to his rescue.

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Anime Reviews First Impressions Reviews

Winter 2022 First Impressions – World’s End Harem

Streaming: Crunchyroll

Episodes: 11

Source: Manga

Episode Summary: Five years ago, Reito went into cryogenic sleep in order to wait out a cure for Cellular Sclerosis, a currently incurable disease. This occurs, inconveniently, just as he confesses his feelings to his childhood friend and fellow researcher, Erisa. He leaves a token with Erisa so that they can reconnect after he’s awoken from stasis, but as he slumbers the world transforms into an inhospitable and broken place.

After the MK (“Male Killer”) virus quickly obliterates the male population of Earth, society begins to crumble and deteriorate. For reasons that are still being studied, Reito’s Cellular Sclerosis treatment makes him immune to the ravages of the MK virus, and as one of 5 known men in his same position, the potential for his offspring to carry that immunity makes his sperm cells a precious commodity. In order for the Human Race to survive, Reito must help repopulate it. But the only woman that’s on Reito’s mind is his childhood friend, Erisa. Thus, he’s given an ultimatum – he can try to find Erisa, but in the meantime he’ll be faced with many other women who are passionately focused on obtaining Reito’s seed.

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Anime Reviews First Impressions Reviews

Winter 2022 First Impressions – Sabikui Bisco

Streaming: Funimation and Crunchyroll

Episodes: 12

Source: Light Novel

Episode Summary: After a disaster destroys Tokyo and turns it into an inhospitable desert, people begin to die from a mysterious illness known as the “Rust.” It slowly overtakes their bodies until it reaches their hearts. There are theories regarding how the illness is spread, some of which involve the assumption that strange plagues of mushrooms (and the mushroom keepers who create them) are somehow responsible. The most notorious of these mushroom keepers is Bisco Akaboshi, who spreads terror using his bow and arrows to produce giant mushrooms.

Doctor Milo Nekoyanagi maintains a residence in the slums where he tends to the impoverished locals while also using connections to obtain contraband mushroom material in order to search for a cure for the Rust. His motivations seem rooted in kindness, but they have a selfish angle as well – his sister Pawoo is suffering from the disease. One evening, none other than Bisco makes his way into the city to wreak havoc, causing the pavement to burst forth with mushrooms with every strike of his arrows. But he seems focused on one mission in particular – to seek out Doctor Nekoyanagi.

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Anime Reviews Personal Reviews Special Features

2021 – An Anime Year in Review

Happy New Year! Or, at least, I hope that this new year has the potential to be happier than the last couple have been. As many… critiques as I may have about the world in general, at the very least I think I’m pretty safe in saying that the world of anime has been extremely bountiful throughout 2021.

While many writers and bloggers have been posting their ranked lists of the best (or least-best) anime from 2021, because I’m not and probably never will be particularly keen on trying to rank apples against oranges I thought I’d try to tackle this from a different angle. So instead of attempting to arbitrarily cram things into a numerical list I’d like to instead look back at some of my strongest anime memories from 2021 by general subject matter and/or category. Thus, I can continue to be wishy-washy while also managing to put together some kind of content. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.

With that said, below the cut are some various memories I’ve put together from 2021, some related to seasonal anime in general, and others more closely related to my own experiences as an anime consumer within that time frame. If you’d like to share your own thoughts in the comments, I’d love to hear them!

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Favorites First Impressions Personal Reviews

S1E1’s 2021 Site-in-Review

Well, here we are; somehow I blinked and it’s now suddenly the end of December. As I continue to privately mull over the strange properties of the human perception of time’s passage, publicly I thought I’d take this opportunity to look back at the writing I completed over the past year. If you came here looking for a “best-of” anime post, fear not; I have one of those in the works as well. But for now, I thought I’d toot my own horn a little bit.

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Anime Reviews First Impressions Reviews

Autumn 2021 Premiere List

Well, I made it, just in time for the new anime season to start in like less than four weeks, lol. In all seriousness, though, one of my secret New Year’s resolutions (“secret” because by design I don’t tend to make them because they cause people to hold themselves to unrealistic standards and I have some particular issues in that regard) was to try to finish each season’s premiere reviews, no matter how long it takes. If you’re looking for timeliness in your premiere impressions, you should probably read Anime News Network or Anime Feminist, or any other number of bloggers who are faster writers than I. If you’re looking for my personal take in addition to that, well, I’ve got you covered – it just might take four or five times as long.

Below are links to all of my First Impressions for Autumn 2021, where you can read my initial thoughts on all the series. As for follow-up thoughts, stay tuned; while I don’t tend to write about everything I watch, if something happens to get my brain juices flowing I’ll usually have more to say about it at some point.

If you’re interested in what I’m planning to/already watching more of, here’s a short list – The Heike Story (which is complete, so I can marathon it all… which might not be the best idea), Mieruko-chan, Muteking the Dancing Hero, Takt op. Destiny, AMAIM Warrior at the Borderline, Irina the Vampire Cosmonaut, Banished from the Hero’s Party, Sakugan, Visual Prison, The Faraway Paladin, Shikizakura, Rumble Garanndoll, Ranking of Kings (I’m fully current on this one), Komi Can’t Communicate, Blue Period, Blade Runner, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean, Lupin the Third: Part 6. Others might slip in there as I have time. If you’re thinking “gee, that’s really a lot of anime,” I’ll just say not to underestimate my ability to marathon many episodes of anime all at once.

One note: I completed this chart before realizing I’d forgotten about Digimon Ghost Game, which is why it’s tacked onto the end rather than in alphabetical order in the table.

AMAIM Warrior at the BorderlineAncient Girl’s FrameBanished from the Hero’s Party
Blade Runner: Black LotusBlue PeriodBuild Divide #000000 Code Black
Deep Insanity: The Lost ChildThe Faraway PaladinThe Fruit of Evolution
The Heike StoryIrina the Vampire CosmonautJoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean
Komi Can’t CommunicateLupin the Third: Part 6Mieruko-chan
Muteking the Dancing HeroMuv-Luv AlternativeMy Senpai is Annoying
The Night Beyond the Tricornered WindowPlatinum EndPuraOre – Pride of Orange
Ranking of KingsRumble GaranndollSakugan
Selection ProjectShikizakuraSuper Crooks
Taisho Otome FairytaleTakt op. DestinyTesla Note
The Vampire Dies in no TimeVisual PrisonWaccha PriMagi
The World’s Finest AssassinDigimon Ghost Game
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Anime Reviews First Impressions Reviews

Autumn 2021 First Impressions – Digimon Ghost Game

Streaming: Crunchyroll

Episodes: TBA

Source: Digimon Franchise

Episode Summary: The internet is abuzz with rumors regarding a Sewn-lip Man; a hologram (or perhaps a holographic ghost) that terrorizes people and steals their time, leaving them as aged husks. Hiro Amanokawa brushes them off as urban legends, but the previous mysterious disappearance of his father has left him somewhat unsure of what might be real or imagined. When Hiro and his friend break into their school auditorium to investigate the rumors, they soon discover just how real the chatter about the Sewn-lip Man actually is.

As Hiro returns to his dorm room in the aftermath of being attacked, he discovers a set of strange flash drives that appear to be compatible with a set of digital wrist devices left behind by his father. When he plugs them in, he finds himself face-to-face with an image of his father, who’s somehow managed to convert himself into a digital entity. Hiro’s father provides Hiro with Gammamon, a digital monster that Hiro is asked to consider as his “brother.” Gammamon turns out to be handy when the Sewn-lip Man, who reveals himself as “Clockmon,” appears in Hiro’s dorm room. Gammamon turns out to have some specific resilience to Clockmon’s time-stealing attack, and along with Hiro’s support is able to defeat Clockmon – for now.

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Anime Reviews First Impressions Reviews

Autumn 2021 First Impressions – Lupin the Third: Part 6

Streaming: HIDIVE

Episodes: 25

Source: Original story: part of a long-running franchise

Episode Summary: One morning in London, Lord Faulkner returns to his place of business as usual. As he enters his office, he removes a poster from the wall, rolls it up, and slides it into a hidden compartment in his cane before returning to the front door. Later that day, as he’s about to leave a café, Faulkner finds himself surrounded by the police with their guns drawn. They’re on to him – he’s not actually Lord Faulkner, who’s already been detained for questioning at Scotland Yard. This Lord Faulkner is actually French spy Albert d’Andresy in disguise, whose plan to steal this poster was thwarted by none other than Sherlock Holmes himself.

As Albert tries to make an escape and ends up shot in the shoulder, he’s approached by none other than Lupin the Third, in town to steal the very poster that Albert briefly had his hands on. As they leave the city center Albert reveals some details regarding a longstanding situation with an entity called the Raven. Meanwhile, Holmes and Lily, his adopted daughter (and wannabe assistant) deal with an explosion at Scotland Yard and its aftermath. As Lupin returns meet up with Fujiko, he also crosses paths with Holmes. As it turns out, the two seem to have a history together – one that involves Lily.

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Anime Reviews First Impressions Reviews

Autumn 2021 First Impressions – JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean

Streaming: Netflix

Episodes: TBA

Source: Manga

Episode Summary: Jolyne Kujo’s life seems to be over at the ripe old age of 17. After taking the blame for a hit and run accident she didn’t commit, as well as for the disposal of the resultant body, she finds herself sentenced to serve hard time in Florida’s Green Dolphin Street Prison for 15 long years. As it happens, her defense lawyer and her (ex?) boyfriend Romeo, the actual driver of the car, colluded to have her take the fall in exchange for some financial kick-backs.

Jolyne learns this after pricking her finger on a strange amulet left to her by her father, Jotaro. After the injury, she seems to gain some strange abilities – super hearing, a sense of the future, and control over a blue thread that springs from the wound on her finger and seems to obey the will of her emotions. Whatever the source of this power, Jolyne knows one thing for sure – there’s no way she’ll sit and rot in prison for 15 years.

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