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First Impressions Reviews

Summer 2019 First Impressions – To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts

During a protracted civil war that pitted the North against the South, the outnumbered Northerners used dark magic to create monstrous super-soldiers called Incarnates. Now that the war has ended, those Sacred Beasts must learn to make their way in a peaceful society, or face death at the hands of a Beast Hunter. Nancy Schaal Bancroft, the daughter of an Incarnate, turns to hunting the hunter herself. But once she catches up with her quarry, she discovers hard truths about the lives of these Sacred Beasts – ANN

Streaming: Crunchyroll

Episodes: TBA

Source: Manga

Episode Summary: In the young country of Patria, a competition for resources pits the armies of the North and South against one-another. The North is vastly outnumbered, but they have a special tool at their disposal – the Incarnates, unholy fusions of man and beast that have unimaginable power. This helps tip the scales to the side of the North, and hopefully, eventually toward peace.

When one of the Incarnates goes rogue, the downside of this incredible power becomes apparent. Eventually, their human souls become unable to fight off the beast personas within, and only death can stop their rampage. Elaine, the doctor who created the Incarnates, plans to kill them one-by-one to prevent anything bad from happening. Unfortunately, after she fires a fatal shot at Hank, captain of the squad, she’s murdered by Cain, one of her creations. Hank miraculously awakens two months later and learns that the war has ended, but the leftover incarnates are causing trouble across the land. He becomes a hunter of these rogue incarnates, in order to stop them from murdering the populace.

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Anime Reviews Reviews

Anime Review – Run With the Wind

Haiji Kiyose is an enthusiastic fourth year student at Kansei University who has been stealthily gathering men for the track and field team of the campus. As Kakeru Kurahara, a snappish first year student, becomes the promising tenth member; Kiyose dreams of participating at the Hakone Ekiden, a famous relay university marathon race. – ANN

Streaming: Crunchyroll and Hidive

Episodes: 23

Source: Novel

This post was originally written for the April 2019 issue of Mangaverse, the anime, manga, and comics ‘zine published by the National Fantasy Fan Federation (N3F) which I am currently in charge of editing. If you are interested in contributing to Mangaverse, please contact me at jessi@s1e1.com. I am always on the lookout for writers and artists!

This post may have been minimally-edited from its original form to correct minor errors and/or include hyperlinks.

Review: This review contains minor spoilers for the series.

Exercise has never been one of my strengths. In elementary school, we were tested every year on how quickly we could run a mile (4 laps around the outdoor gravel-coated track). My best time was somewhere in the 12-minute range, and that was when I was in 1st grade. I think, deep inside, I never saw the point of running when walking was a perfectly serviceable mode of personal transportation. That, or I have always been chronically out-of-shape and unwilling to admit it.

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First Impressions Reviews

Spring 2019 First Impressions – The Wise Man’s Grandchild

A powerful wizard and sage comes upon a baby whom he adopts and names Shin. The baby is actually a man from our world reincarnated into the sage’s world. The sage raises Shin, separated from the rest of society, and teaches him in the ways of magic. It is only when Shin turns 15 years old and sets out on his own journey that the sage remembers that he forgot to teach Shin the common sense and ways of this particular world. And so, Shin goes the capital of the Alsheid Kingdom to enroll in the capital’s magic academy. – ANN

Streaming: Crunchyroll and Funimation

Episodes: 12

Source: Light Novel

Episode Summary: One day, an elderly wizard named Merlin finds a baby in the wreckage from a demon attack. That baby, who he takes in and names Shin, becomes a boy with a special aptitude for magic. Merlin teaches Shin everything he knows, bringing in acquaintances to teach him the ways of the sword and magical garb. Soon Shin becomes a young man with a hold over magic that’s terrifying in its scope.

One of Merlin’s acquaintances invites Shin to attend a magic school in his country. There he can learn how his skills actually compare to those of his peers, as well as figure out some basic skills like buying food and interacting with other people his age. Shin starts to fill in his social gaps once he arrives; he rescues a couple of girls from a group of thugs, and becomes instantly and hopelessly smitten with one of them.

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First Impressions Reviews

Spring 2019 First Impressions – The Helpful Fox Senko-san

Nakano is an employee of an exploitative “black” company, who meets a divine fox spirit named Senko. While she looks like a young girl, Senko is in fact 800 years old. She offers to spoil Nakano as much as possible, and begins looking after him.  – ANN

Streaming: Crunchyroll and Funimation

Episodes: 12

Source: Manga

Episode Summary: Nakano’s days are filled to the brim with mind-numbing office work. His workdays are so long that they’re literally beginning to suck the life out of him. He listlessly takes the last train home once again, and stumbles into his apartment only to find the door unlocked and the lights on. Inside is a honey-colored fox girl cooking dinner at Nakano’s stove.

The fox goddess on high has taken pity on Nakano’s plight, and sent Senko-san, one of her demigods, to help set things right. Though Nakano is a bit weirded-out by the presence of the youthful fox spirit, it’s hard to argue with a hot meal, a good cup of tea, and a fluffy tail to pet. Senko-san asks for nothing in return, as her care is literally priceless; she chalks this all up to the whim of an 800-year-old demi-god. But Nakano has the strange sense that he’s been in the presence of this particular spiritual being before.

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First Impressions Reviews

Spring 2019 First Impressions – Sarazanmai

One day, three second-year middle school students — Kazuki Yasaka, Toi Kuji, and Enta Jinai — meet a kappa-like creature named Keppi, who is the self-proclaimed heir to the throne of Kappa Kingdom. Keppi forcibly takes the students’ shirikodama (a mythical organ kappa steal through a person’s anus) and they are transformed into kappa. Keppi informs them, “If you want to return to your former selves, you need to connect in ‘that way’ and you must bring me the shirikodama of zombies.” At the same time, two policemen, Reo Niiboshi and Mabu Akutsu, try to do something at the police box where they are stationed. – ANN

Streaming: Crunchyroll and Funimation

Episodes: 11

Source: Original

Episode Summary: In Asakusa, images of the Kappa yokai abound. But little did Kazuki, Toi, and later Enta suspect that the golden kappa statue within the local shrine housed inside it a real, live kappa. After running into Kazuki again by accident, Toi’s violent defense of his own illegal activities knocks the statue off its base; when they return to the scene of the crime later on, Prince Keppi of the Kappa Kingdom appears before them in a poof of purple smoke. When the boys mistakenly refer to Keppi as a frog, he punishes them by stealing their shirikodama (an organ in the anus housing human desires) and turning them (and later Enta) into kappa.

Their ticket back to humanity relies on their ability to team up and steal the shirikodama of zombies – poor humans consumed by their own artificially-augmented desires. The only catch is that, once doing so, the three boys’ own deep, dark secrets are revealed to one-another. As the trio completes the Sarazanmai, Kazuki’s secret is thrust out into the open. This is embarrassing, but could this be a way for him to seek the connections he desires?

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First Impressions Reviews

Spring 2019 First Impressions – Why the Hell Are You Here, Teacher?

High school student Ichirō’s female teacher Kojima-sensei is famous for being a “demon teacher.” However, in front of Ichirō she seems to be air-headed and clumsy, and he keeps finding himself in perverted situations with her in places like the in men’s bathroom, in the men’s bathhouse, in the pool, at the school infirmary, and elsewhere. – ANN

Streaming: Crunchyroll and Hidive

Episodes: 12 (12 minutes apiece)

Source: Manga

Episode Summary: Ichiro has to use the restroom, and the most private place to do his business is an out-of-the-way men’s restroom on the school grounds. He doesn’t expect to see anyone, but when he opens the stall he’s surprised by none other than his female teacher, Kojima-sensei. The stall locks behind him, and the two wrestle with this uncomfortable reality until neither student nor teacher can “hold it” any longer.

The next week, Ichiro decides to cut class by hiding in the school infirmary, but coincidentally Kojima-sensei is there sleeping off a cold. She sends Ichiro to get her some medicine, but the only fever suppressant left in the cabinet comes in suppository form. Ichiro takes one for the team to help his teacher, but once she discovers that he’s skipping class, she returns the favor in the worst possible way.

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First Impressions Reviews

Spring 2019 First Impressions – Midnight Occult Civil Servants

Arata Miyako is a new government worker assigned to the Shinjuku Ward Office’s “Nighttime Regional Relations” department. Each of Tokyo’s 23 wards has one such department, which were established to solve paranormal and occult-related events. Arata can understand non-human speech that no one else understands, and he encounters a yōkai (supernatural entity) at Shinjuku Gyoen park that calls him Abe no Seimei — the name of a historical Japanese occultist and diviner. – ANN

Streaming: Crunchyroll

Episodes: 12

Source: Manga

Episode Summary: Arata Miyako begins his job without a clear image of what it might entail, but he soon realizes that he wasn’t hired to perform typical government work; the Office of Nighttime Relations is focused on maintaining the order of Tokyo’s many residents – including those of the supernatural variety. Arata begins his evening unaware of fairies and tengu, but soon realizes that the nighttime world is filled with those supernatural creatures, and many others.

The team has been summoned to the park in order to research some odd disturbances, and what they discover is that the tengu and angels are at odds over something. Arata happens to find out the source of the conflict – an angel and tengu have fallen in love, and neither of their families is happy about it. Arata learns this because he seems to have the rare ability to understand non-human language, though it takes some convincing for his colleagues to believe it. Arata is able to help the two groups reach a truce, though no sooner have they flown off into the night sky then he’s approached by an old tengu who calls him by an unfamiliar name.

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First Impressions Reviews

Spring 2019 First Impressions – Cinderella Nine

Newly-minted high schooler Tsubasa has a plan: she wants to start a girls’ baseball team at Rigahama High. Unfortunately for her, instead of going through proper channels, Tsubasa lets her enthusiasm (and maybe her friend Tomoe’s words) carry her away, and she charges onstage during the club presentation assembly to make her call for members. Although her homeroom teacher supports her efforts, and despite getting two potential members in the form of super-shy Ukita and slightly-leery Nozaki, the student council remains opposed to the team. That’s not going to keep Tsubasa down, though – the girl’s nothing if not enthusiastic and devoted to her dream. – ANN

Streaming: Crunchyroll

Episodes: TBA

Source: Smartphone Game

Episode Summary: Baseball is an uncommon school sport for girls, but Tsubasa aims to change that by forming a team at her high school. She commandeers the entrance ceremony to advertise this venture, drawing all of the wrong kinds of attention. She does, however, catch the eye of Ukita, a shy girl with an interest in baseball, and Nozaki, a girl with an uncomfortable past in team sports. Though both girls are apprehensive, the circumstances align and they join Tsubasa and her friend Tomoe for an informal practice session and pickup game near the river.

Truth be told, neither girl has the skills of a practiced baseball player, but they both show potential. Once Nozaki learns that she can play left-handed, her throws start to impress. And though Ukita definitely needs to work on her confidence, she has a lot of heart. When they play a game against a group of younger kids, all the girls start to get a sense of how fun baseball can be. The camaraderie, the cheer of the audience, and the sound of the ball hitting the sweet spot of the bat is addictive. Perhaps this club might have a chance at success.

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First Impressions Reviews

Spring 2019 First Impressions – YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of This World

Takuya Arima lost his mother when he was very young and his archaeologist father in a much more recent cave-in, so he now lives with his stepmother Ayumi, who manages an unpopular construction project near the archaeological site his father had been studying. Strange events, including accidents and unexplained lightning strikes, have been happening, but things get personally weird for Takuya when first a bizarre relic and then a treatise on parallel worlds gets shipped to him, apparently from his deceased father, all at the same time that a new transfer student arrives. Stranger still, he briefly meets a naked, elfin-eared girl at a time and place specified by his father, while one of father’s research associates demands the relic he has at gunpoint and insists that his parents are alive but somewhere else. After more lightning strikes lead to an apparent time-and-space shift, no one else present at the incident seems to remember it the next day. – ANN

Streaming: Crunchyroll and Funimation

Episodes: 26

Source: Manga

Episode Summary: Takuya recently lost his father, though considering the circumstances he’s dealing with it fairly well. His dad was a researcher who died doing what he loved, which is about as much as anyone could ask for. In the meantime, Takuya passes his time being the class goofball and engaging in lewd talk with some of the women whose paths cross his (including his teacher).

Takuya receives a couple of packages that say they’re from his late father – they contain a strange object and a book that speaks of strange things like parallel dimensions. A new transfer student warns Takuya that the construction project headed by his stepmother is treading in dangerous territory, which turns out to be true; in addition to strange earthquakes and lightning strikes, Takuya discovers that it’s also a focal point for his father’s research when his father’s research assistant confronts him there. He also encounters a mysterious elf-eared girl, and his connection with her (as well as the strange bejeweled object left to him by his father) initiates some sort of warp. When Takuya wakes up the next morning, no one seems to remember what occurred the night before; is it memory loss, or something more extreme?

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First Impressions Reviews

Spring 2019 First Impressions – Fruits Basket

After a family tragedy turns her life upside down, plucky high schooler Tohru Honda takes matters into her own hands and moves out into a tent. Unfortunately for her, she pitches her new home on private land belonging to the mysterious Sohma clan, and it isn’t long before the owners discover her secret. But, as Tohru quickly finds out when the family offers to take her in, the Sohmas have a secret of their own–when touched by the opposite sex, they turn into the animals of the Chinese Zodiac. – ANN

Streaming: Crunchyroll, Funimation, Hulu, and Yahoo View

Episodes: TBA

Source: Manga, as well as a previous anime adaptation.

Episode Summary: Tohru’s living situation is a bit… complicated. After her mother passed away in an accident, she went to live with her grandfather. Now her grandfather’s home is being renovated, so rather than cause problems for one of her friends by asking to live with them for a few months, Tohru has chosen to take all the burden on by herself – by living in a tent in the woods and supporting herself through her part-time job. By accident, she learns that her tent sits on the property of the Soma family, and Yuki Soma (her class’s “prince”) walks with her to school when Tohru discovers the location of their family home. This gets Tohru in trouble with Yuki’s fan club, but luckily Yuki turns out to be more down-to-earth than his social status may imply.

After completing a day’s work at her after-school cleaning job, Tohru sneaks back to her tent in the dark. Coincidentally, Yuki and his cousin Shigure are also wandering their property, and suddenly Tohru’s secret is out in the open. Conveniently, the Soma boys are slobs, and Tohru has a knack for cleaning – it seems like the perfect match for them both. She’s invited to take the empty room on the Soma home’s second floor. But when the ornery Kyo drops in to pick a fight with Yuki, the family’s odd secret is revealed. If the family members come into contact with someone of the opposite sex, they transform into the various animal members of the Chinese Zodiac!

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