Tag: Fantasy

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Anime Reviews First Impressions Reviews

Summer 2022 First Impressions – Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer

Streaming: Crunchyroll

Episodes: TBA

Source: Manga

Episode Summary: Yuuhi Amamiya is a busy college student with a lot on his mind, so when he’s initially approached by a talking lizard he feels as though it must be a product of his stress and overwork. Eventually, after many attempts at getting rid of the vocalizing reptile (who’s literally attached to him at all times) and then learning he now has access to a type of forcefield power via a magic ring, he begins to accept the fact that he may truly, for some reason, have been designated the “Lizard Knight.” Being chosen and being willing are two different things entirely, however.

After facing off against a frightening golem and also being forced to recall the harsh words of his grandfather, Yuuhi is done with this whole “saving the world” thing. But the power is really not his to give up. After learning that his neighbor, Samidare, is the princess that his lizard friend keeps referring to, and that the world is under threat from a giant looming object called the “Biscuit Hammer,” Yuuhi starts to feel trapped in his role. Samidare is also not entirely benevolent herself; she hopes to defeat the Biscuit Hammer so that she can then destroy the world via her own two hands.

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Anime Reviews First Impressions Reviews

Summer 2022 First Impressions – Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World

Streaming: Crunchyroll

Episodes: 12

Source: Light Novel

Episode Summary: Michio Kaga was on the lookout for a new VR game to try, and when he logs into his most recent finds he discovers that the experience is especially immersive. When he battles a group of bandits, the conflict feels real. And when Michio tries to log out of the game, he discovers that this may very well now be his real life.

When a villager attempts to steal one of the spoils from the battle, Michio learns firsthand that the culture of this place handles thieves swiftly and harshly – by selling them into slavery. Because it was Michio who suffered the loss, he gains half of the price of the sale of the man into slavery. It’s at the slave-trader’s hall that he also learns of another much more interesting nuance to this world – that of sanctioned sex slavery. Michio falls hard for Roxanne, a buxom slave working as a maid. Her price is well above what Michio can pay, but the trader gives him five days to come up with the funds. Feeling alone in this strange new world, Michio has found at least one way for someone to owe him attention.

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Anime Reviews First Impressions Reviews

Summer 2022 First Impressions – Smile of the Arsnotoria

Streaming: Crunchyroll

Episodes: 12

Source: Game

Episode Summary: At Ashram Magic Academy, the “Pentragrams” are a group of five girls who, in addition to their magical studies, also cultivate manners and a sense of grace. After school they spend time having tea in their club room until they’re forced to go off and tend to their other student duties.

Arsnotoria is the quietest of the bunch – easily startled, but with a keen sense of smell that seems perfectly tuned to sniff out the delicious fresh-baked scones just outside the school store. Her magical talents are useful for things like warming up milk; unfortunately she doesn’t have the physical prowess to open the jam jar to top the scone she’s having with her tea. These are all very lighthearted troubles, but somewhere outside the school a truly dramatic conflict is taking place.

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Anime Reviews First Impressions Reviews

Summer 2022 First Impressions – Vermeil in Gold

Streaming: HIDIVE

Episodes: 12

Source: Manga

Episode Summary: Alto Goldfield has a problem – if he can’t form a contract with a familiar before class the next day, he’ll be held back a year in magic school. He’s already tried almost everything, but as he’s pondering his situation in the library, a book of summoning magic falls from the shelf and hits him square in the head. Luckily for him some of it is still legible, so he draws the magic circle and chants the words written in the book. What bursts forth from the magic ring isn’t any ordinary spirit, however; instead, Alto seems to have summoned himself a very powerful, buxom demon.

The demon’s name is Vermeil and she informs Alto that the reason that no other creature would allow itself to be summoned to his side is because his mana is simply too potent for them to tolerate. Luckily demons are so powerful that they’re the one exception, and Vermeil knows many… creative ways to extract the mana she desires as payment for her services. Despite some headaches in class the next day, Vermeil is deemed acceptable as a familiar. However, Alto’s childhood friend Lilia isn’t quite so accepting. She challenges them to a duel, which despite her efforts Lilia loses spectacularly. Her penance is to become friendly with Vermeil, which she accepts, albeit not without some misgivings.

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Anime Reviews First Impressions Reviews

Summer 2022 First Impressions – Spriggan

Streaming: Netflix

Episodes: 6 (45 minutes apiece)

Source: Manga

Episode Summary: The ARCAM organization is guided by the writing on a mysterious golden tablet, imploring anyone who might read its words to protect the artifacts and technology from the ancient world from being misused. When an altar is found beneath Mount Fuji that seems to have connections to an ancient civilization which had the power to control the volcano’s eruptions, ARCAM seeks the help of young linguistics professor Yamabishi to decipher its cryptic writing.

Of course, Yamabishi’s skill and the potentially limitless power offered by this altar also draws the attention of several other factions, including those out of Russia looking to claim the power for their own world-dominating aspirations. Luckily, professor Yamabishi falls under the protection of Yu Ominae, ARCAM’s elite fighter, code-named “Spriggan.” With his orichalcum body armor and keen fighting sense, Yu is a force to be reckoned with. But Russia has its own elite forces – will Yu’s abilities be enough to prevent the power of Fuji’s Flame Serpent from falling into the wrong hands?

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Anime Reviews First Impressions Reviews

Summer 2022 First Impressions – Bastard!! Heavy Metal Dark Fantasy

Streaming: Netflix

Episodes: 24

Source: Manga

Episode Summary: 400 years ago, humanity reached the apex of its own evil, drawing forth the power of Dark to destroy the world. But before the human race could be destroyed, a huge creature in the form of a white dragon arrived via a pillar of light. The battle between these godlike entities caused several continents to sink into the sea. After it was all over, the remaining humans passed this story on over the years until the line between reality and legend blurred.

Now, in a world of dark fantasy, the country of Meta-Licana finds itself under attack from followers of the late Dark Schneider, a wizard who wielded terrible evil power before being sealed away. A young woman named Yoko, guardian to Lucien and daughter of the head priest, holds a special power – the power to awaken a force sealed away in Lucien. But when the situation looks grim and she unleashes this power, it turns out that Lucien was the reincarnation of Dark Schneider all along. Dark Schneider has plans to destroy the world, but Yoko may have more sway in preventing that from happening than she realizes.

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Anime Reviews First Impressions Reviews

Spring 2022 First Impressions – Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs

Streaming: Crunchyroll

Episodes: 12

Source: Light Novel

Episode Summary: In his former life, Leon was a typical Japanese adult who happened to have been blackmailed by his younger sister into completing an otome game for her. He does it grudgingly, complaining the entire time. Unfortunately once he completes it he gets little time to celebrate his freedom from the task before taking a fatal spill down a staircase. Having been reincarnated, it takes Leon several years to realize that his new life exists within the boundaries of the otome game that he so despised.

In the world of this game, men are second-class citizens. Rather than go to the academy to try to woo a young woman as his suitor, Leon is tossed into an arranged marriage with a woman 50 years his senior. Rather than sit idly by for this scenario, Leo goes on an adventure using his prior knowledge of the game to uncover a futuristic space ship that he makes his own. Returning to his his father with treasures unimaginable, Leon buys his way into the academy to try his luck there. But searching for love among the elite might be a challenge in and of itself.

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Anime Reviews First Impressions Reviews

Spring 2022 First Impressions – Healer Girl

Streaming: Crunchyroll

Episodes: 12

Source: Original

Episode Summary: Kana, Reimi, and Hibiki are three apprentice healers at the Karasuma Voice Treatment Center, which trains individuals in the art and science of treating patients using the power of singing. This form of medicine developed as a compliment to already-existing Eastern and Western medicine. Kana is the newest recruit of the bunch, and though she was inspired to become a healer due to an encounter when she was a child, she often finds that her ability to adhere to her training regimen (as well as the rules) to be a little lacking. When she uses her abilities to heal a boy’s skinned knee, Karasuma, the main healer at the clinic, puts Kana on notice.

The girls live out their days doing administrative work and building up their endurance through exercise and eating healthy foods. As people who love to sing, their down time is often filled with music as well. When the granddaughter of one of the clinic’s patients rushes over after-hours to get help for her grandmother’s condition, however, the apprentices switch into overdrive to retrieve their senpais from a conference. Though Kana knows she can’t use her singing to heal her patient, she realizes that she can use her skills to ease the patient’s mind, which she does. As the others arrive, they witness Kana’s immense skill, which ultimately calms the elderly woman well enough that she can be taken to the hospital.

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Anime Reviews First Impressions Reviews

Spring 2022 First Impressions – I’m Quitting Heroing

Streaming: HIDIVE

Episodes: 12

Source: Light Novel

Episode Summary: Leo Demonheart was once hired to be humanity’s savior. Using his immense physical and magical ability, he and his comrades handily defeated Echidna, the Demon Queen. But rather than a hero’s welcome, upon his return Leo was met with apprehensiveness or, in some cases, downright hostility. The people were afraid of his seemingly demonic abilities and shunned him, leaving him without a place to call home.

With little to lose, Leo makes an unexpected pivot and approaches Echidna with a request for employment. She’s immediately hostile to the proposition, but her four generals are somewhat more open-minded. They agree to hire Leo on a trial basis, but he’ll have his work cut out for him; the demon forces are in shambles after having been both mismanaged and defeated by a hero. Can Leo whip them into shape and gain Echidna’s trust?

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Anime Reviews First Impressions Reviews

Spring 2022 First Impressions – The Executioner and Her Way of Life

Streaming: HIDIVE

Episodes: 12

Source: Light Novel

Episode Summary: Menou is both a priestess and an executioner, tasked with protecting her world from the destruction wrought by outsiders summoned from Japan. When the noblesse – the rulers of her country – complete their most recent summoning, Menou spends little time with their latest discarded “Lost One” before discovering that his destructive power has the potential to be extremely deadly. After executing him she learns that he wasn’t the only one pulled through the dimensional gate.

Menou has odd dreams that almost feel like memories, of being in Japan, going to school, and being friends with her classmates. But there’s always one mysterious figure just out of sight that she knows in her heart was her best friend. Even her priestess training never managed to erase these odd partial recollections. When Menou confronts the second Lost One to arrive in her world, the girl seems to be incredibly familiar.

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