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First Impressions Reviews

Spring 2019 First Impressions – Senryu Girl

Nanako Yukishiro is a girl who can only communicate what she wants to say by using senryū (a poetry style similar to haiku more focused on humor). Eiji is an intimidating but kind boy who is a member of the school literature club. The pair have cheerful everyday interactions through 17 syllables. – ANN

Streaming: Crunchyroll and HIDIVE

Episodes: TBA (12 minute episodes)

Source: Manga

Episode Summary: Nanako is a girl of few words, but those she does share are chosen very carefully. She expresses herself through Senryu poetry, a form that, much like haiku, is presented in 5-7-5 syllable format. While this can create some awkward situations (Nanako especially has trouble when asked a lot of questions in short succession), her friends understand her choice not to speak and enjoy her skill at sharing her thoughts and feelings in this unique way.

Nanako belongs to the poetry club with Eiji, a boy who’s often misunderstood as a bully with a scary attitude. His countenance is sometimes considered frightening, and his attempts at interacting with people are often thwarted due to this problem. He doesn’t seem to have much trouble getting along with Nanako, and the two make a cute pair. In fact, perhaps the two may have feelings for one another… but will they ever be able to properly express them?

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First Impressions Reviews

Spring 2019 First Impressions – Hitoribocchi no Marumaruseikatsu

Bocchi Hitori, a girl with extreme social anxiety, has had only one friend throughout elementary school. When Bocchi learns they’ll be split up after graduation, she makes a promise to her: “By the time of my middle school graduation, I’ll make friends with everyone in my class.” And if she can’t do it they won’t be friends anymore. But Bocchi has a hard time talking to people. When she gets nervous, her legs cramp. She can’t look other people in the eye. She doesn’t even know how to make friends. Every way she thinks of to make friends ends up failing. – ANN

Streaming: Crunchyroll

Episodes: 12

Source: Manga

Episode Summary: Bocchi is exceedingly shy, so when she and her elementary-school friend end up at different middle schools, she feels like her life might be over. Her friend tasked her with forging relationships with all of her classmates, but it’s a goal that seems impossible; Bocchi is unskilled in conversation, and anything more emotionally-complicated that that is surely off the table.

When her half-baked plots to avoid fulfilling her friendship quota go awry, Bocchi resigns herself to a school life of loneliness and isolation. Against all odds, though, she manages to find opportunities to interact with Nako-chan, the girl sitting in front of her in class. Nako first seems standoffish, but her inherent kindness gives Bocchi the opportunity to open up, and suddenly a new friendship begins to blossom between the two.

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First Impressions Reviews

Spring 2019 First Impressions – Ao-Chan Can’t Study!

When Ao was in kindergarten, she smiled ear-to-ear as she told her classmates how her father (a bestselling erotic author) chose her name: “A as in apple and O as in orgy.” That day still haunts her ten years later as she studies with a single goal in mind: get into an elite university and achieve independence from her father once and for all. She has no youth to misspend and no time to think about boys until her classmate, “King Normie” Kijima, approaches her with a shocking confession of love. She tries to lose Kijima, but he just can’t take a hint and as her mind runs wild with impure thoughts, she realizes her father has totally influenced her. – ANN

Streaming: Crunchyroll and HIDIVE

Episodes: TBA (13 min episodes)

Source: Manga

Episode Summary: Ao’s life changed forever once she realized that her name, chosen by her father (an erotic author), referred to an “O-face.” Having grown up in an environment where her one male role model was a lecherous old man, Ao decided to point her efforts toward her studying, thus providing her a way to escape her family once and for all. In school she does everything she can to earn top grades, avoiding any kind of socializing.

What she doesn’t realize is that Kijima, a popular boy and the only person who really tries to talk to her, has feelings for her – a fact she discovers after bringing Kijima his school uniform in the nurse’s office. Ao believes all men to be lecherous perverts with one thing on their mind, but despite her best efforts, she can’t seem to get her mind off of Kijima.

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First Impressions Reviews

Spring 2019 First Impressions – Kimetsu no Yaiba

Since ancient times, rumors have abounded of man-eating demons lurking in the woods. Because of this, the local townsfolk never venture outside at night. Legend has it that a demon slayer also roams the night, hunting down these bloodthirsty demons. For young Tanjiro, these rumors will soon to become his harsh reality. Ever since the death of his father, Tanjiro has taken it upon himself to support his family. Although their lives may be hardened by tragedy, they’ve found happiness. But that ephemeral warmth is shattered one day when Tanjiro finds his family slaughtered and the lone survivor, his sister Nezuko, turned into a demon. To his surprise, however, Nezuko still shows signs of human emotion and thought. Thus begins Tanjiro’s request to fight demons and turn his sister human again. – ANN

Streaming: Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Hulu

Episodes: TBA

Source: Manga

Episode Summary: Tanjiro is a hard-worker and loves his family. As the new year approaches, he plans to sell as much hand-made charcoal as he can so that his mother and siblings will have enough food to eat for the celebration. He leaves for town in the morning, sells his wares (and uses his keen sense of smell so solve a few minor mysteries for the townspeople), only making his way back up the mountain as the moon rises. The old widower living along the mountain path warns of demons roaming the mountain at night, and convinces Tanjiro to stay the evening.

In the morning, Tanjiro arrives home to a horrific situation – the smell of blood lingers in the air and the bodies of his family are sprawled throughout the property. The only person left alive is his sister Nezuko, but she’s in poor shape. Tanjiro carries her through the snow to see a doctor, but when she awakens it’s clear that she’s undergone a horrible transformation. Nezuko has gained an extreme amount of strength and a lust for blood, and attacks her own brother in her rage. She’s gained the blood of the demons who attacked her family, and her senses have gone haywire. Tanjiro believes that his sister still exists somewhere, and he’ll do whatever he can to heal her of this demonic affliction.

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First Impressions Reviews

Spring 2019 First Impressions – We Never Learn: Bokuben

Yuiga is a student who is aiming for a scholarship because he comes from a poor family. His school gives him a condition: he can have a recommendation for a scholarship if he tutors his two beautiful classmates to help them get into the schools of their choice. Ogata may be a science genius and Furuhashi a literature prodigy — but Ogata is aiming for a liberal arts school and Furuhashi is aiming for a science school. And they’re both clueless outside their fields of expertise. – ANN

Streaming: Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Hulu

Episodes: TBA

Source: Manga

Episode Summary: Yuiga isn’t the best student, but he studies hard and has high aspirations. When his principal offers a scholarship recommendation in exchange for Yuiga’s help tutoring some fellow students, Yuiga jumps at the chance. When he discovers that these students are none other than Ogata, a mathematical genius, and Furuhashi, an eloquent writer, he’s puzzled.

As it turns out, while the two have their talents, their passions lie within the subjects that they find more challenging. Yuiga invests a week in teaching them, but when their scores don’t improve he tries to call it quits. It’s only after learning each girl’s reasoning for trying to go outside their comfort zone that Yuiga recalls his father’s wisdom regarding learning and talent.

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First Impressions Reviews

Spring 2019 First Impressions – Amazing Stranger

Nona is a bishōjo character figure that the young male otaku office worker Haruto bought and she suddenly comes to life, and begins moving and talking on her own. – ANN

Streaming: Crunchyroll

Episodes: TBA (Episodes are 12.5 minutes in length)

Source: Manga

Episode Summary: Nona is a space explorer, or at least that’s the premise of the anime in which her character stars. During one of her quests, she disguises herself as a doll in the workshop of a giant carver. When she awakens, however, she finds herself in the home of a very different giant.

Haruto is a work-from-home programmer with an otaku’s spirit, and Nona is the star of his favorite anime. He bought a character figure as a show of his devotion, but he never expected for it to come to life. After some misunderstandings, Haruto and Nona strike a deal; he’ll help Nona explore the “giants” of planet Earth if she’ll allow him to accompany her on her mission.

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Opinion Personal

What I’m Watching – Mob Psycho 100 II (Episodes 1-5)

This post discusses plot spoilers through episode 5 of the series.

Read my First Impression here!

I watch anime for all sorts of reasons, but beyond just enjoying it for its aesthetic properties I also appreciate the many different stories that are told within the medium. I think one of the better ways to achieve some sort of empathy is to read or watch stories about people who are different than yourself, and while anime characters tend to be homogeneous in their own way, I’m still amazed at the variety of characters and stories there are to experience. It is always nice, though, when what I’m able to decipher of an anime’s worldview feels very much in line with my own.

It’s taken me until the second season of this anime series to hone in on the fact that its biggest strength has always been Shigeo’s (Mob’s) decision to choose kindness over all else. Typical for most heroes, he tries to avoid hurting others outright; it’s both a testament to his personal ethics, as well as a reaction to having been bullied himself. While others might take these experiences and twist them into an excuse to lash-out (we see many such characters throughout the series), Shigeo chooses not to perpetuate unkindness or fall into the trappings of his power, and it’s the active and deliberate nature of this choice that drives home the story’s message.

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Opinion Personal

What I’m Watching – Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka (Episodes 1-5)

This post discusses plot spoilers through episode 5 of the anime series.

Check out my first impression HERE!

When I have time I usually like to try to watch anime that’s not at the top of my watch-list. I like to distinguish this from “hate-watching” a show, which is something I try not to do – it’s a practice that makes me angry, makes fans of the series in question angry, and doesn’t really serve a constructive purpose. Instead, I look at this as an opportunity to expand my horizons or even push my boundaries in some cases. Establishing personal boundaries is a good practice, but I’ve found that every once-in-a-while a re-examination and re-centering can be helpful.

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First Impressions Reviews

Winter 2019 First Impressions – Virtualsan: Looking

A TV anime featuring 30 VTubers including Mirai Akari, Siro, Nekomiya Hinata, Tsukino Mito, Tanaka Hime, and Suzuki Hina! In a creative collaboration Anno Hideaki, the six primary cast members will appear in Evangelion costumes. The theme song is composed by producer Nakata Yasutaka, sung by Kizuna Ai in the first six episodes, before being taken over for episodes seven through twelve by the main cast as the special VTuber unit dubbed “Virtual Real”. An original 3DCG animated project with an omnibus format designed to put the personality and charm of VTubers on full display. – Crunchyroll

Streaming: Crunchyroll

Episodes: 12

Source: Various (various virtual YouTube stars)

Episode Summary: The virtual world is populated by all sorts of interesting folks. The virtual idols, whose viral fame has ushered in an entirely new kind of fandom, spend their days together navigating the strange quirks that their internet existence has to offer.

The series centers on 6 primary idols who perform in the bulk of the skits, while other moments feature various other virtual YouTube idols in supporting roles.

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First Impressions Reviews

Winter 2019 First Impressions – Mysteria Friends

Mysteria Academy is a prestigious magic school that teaches magic without discrimination to the three factions (men, gods, demons), who usually are engaged in battle with each other. Two of the academy’s students are Anne, a princess and honor student, and Grea, a princess born from a dragon and a human. – ANN

Streaming: Crunchyroll

Episodes: 10

Source: Game (offshoot of Rage of Bahamut)

Episode Summary: Anne and Grea are two princesses who are as different as can be. Anne is confident and talented, with magical powers befitting her high status. Grea is the child of a human and a dragon and a quiet, sweet soul. Together the two form a bond of friendship that benefits from their differing personalities and makes their time at Mysteria Magic Academy much more fulfilling.

One day Anne is dragged away to aid in the quelling of an angry library spirit, and the aftermath keeps her there for some of the cleanup. Loyal Grea waits at their meeting place until the sun begins to set. Anne is surprised and touched that Grea waited, and the two go off to have their evening meal together.

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