My First Impressions on Seven New Anime Series of Winter 2019

It’s now the winter 2019 season, and it seems like the momentum of 2018 – which was hailed as one the best years of anime – is carrying over to this year.  Hence, on top of season two of Kakegurui and the still ongoing shows from fall 2018 that I picked up (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime and Hinomaru Sumo), I was in the mood for another bundle of new anime shows to watch, and I settled with seven.  There’s no assurance that I will continue watching all seven in the end, but considering that I did so with all the anime I checked out at the start of the past two seasons (and then some), I probably will (and might even eventually try Boogiepop Phantom as I’m hearing good things about it).  Here are they, listed in descending order of how I’m enjoying them so far:

The Rising of the Shield Hero

In a nutshell:

Naofumi Iwatani is one of four young men from different alternate Japans who are magically summoned to an MMORPG-style fantasy world to save it from an apocalyptic series of monster attacks called Waves.  Each of the four is equipped with a Legendary Weapon, and Naofumi draws the short straw and ends up with the Shield.  This is unfortunate because: a.) it’s only good for defending; and b.) while the other Heroes are adored, the Shield Hero is looked down to in this kingdom.  It only becomes worse for Naofumi as the only person that is good to him, the Princess Malty, is actually a malevolent deceiver, and proceeds to rob him and accuse him of rape – a lie that the others eat up.  Stigmatized and spurned, the initially positive Naofumi becomes bitterly cynical, as his spite for this world fuels him in doggedly working his way up from rock bottom.

Number of episodes as of writing: 2

My initial thoughts:

Despite a lot of trashy isekai saturating the market through the years, each new season in recent memory manages to offer a fresh show that overcomes isekai fatigue – Overlord, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, and now, The Rising of the Shield Hero.

A couple of familiar tropes are here and there, but plenty of original ideas are also mixed among them, making its overall premise very interesting.  I was so taken with the anime after two episodes, that I couldn’t help reading ahead with the manga.   And, based on that, oh boy, we have an excellent, cathartic underdog arc ahead of us.

The Promised Neverland

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is an anime that is really worth going into blind.  It’s best to avoid knowing anything about it.  Thus, I recommend you proceed with the next anime entry.  Still, if you insist of knowing more about it, or you are already aware of what’s it about, read on…

In a nutshell:

An orphan living in Grace Field House sees it as a little piece of heaven on earth (think Little Men’s Plumfield).  The children have huge grounds to play in, eat good food, and sleep in comfy beds.  As they look forward to the day that they will finally be adopted, they spend their days finding joy in one another’s companionship, in competing in daily cognitive tests, and in the love of their “Mama”, their kindly caretaker.

However, one fateful day, the three oldest and smartest of the children – Emma, Norman, and Ray – discover the horrifying truth about the orphanage: it’s actually a farm, and that their “Mama” is raising them as food for demons!  And so, before the next delivery day comes, the trio must quickly figure out a way to escape with the rest of their “siblings”, while doing their best to mask their emotions as they pretend to go on with their normal routines to avoid Mama’s suspicions.

Number of episodes as of writing: 2

My initial thoughts:

Storytelling, animation, and music are all terrific, and they all add up to be an utterly gripping anime thriller.  The cerebral aspect of the show is what I like the most, as the very young protagonists engage in high-stakes psych warfare with Mama.  Depending on how it goes, there’s a good chance it can surpass The Rising of the Shield Hero.

Dororo

In a nutshell:

This is the second anime adaptation (the first one came out in 1969) of the 1960’s manga of the same name by the “father of manga” himself, Osamu Tezuka (most famous for Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion, and Black Jack).  It starts off with a daimyo deciding to make a deal with demons.  In return for power, he offers his son’s body parts to them – and the demons accept.  Thus, his son is born without skin, eyes, nose, limbs, and others.

The ill-fated infant is then abandoned and set adrift on the river.  Sixteen years later, the baby has grown up to become a ronin named Hyakkimaru.  Equipped with prostheses, he’s now traveling the land in search of those demons in order to slay them and recover his body parts.  Along the way, he meets Dororo, a young orphan who steals and hustles to get by, who volunteers to be his companion.

Number of episodes as of writing: 3

My initial thoughts:

As a big fan of Rurouni Kenshin and Blade of the Immortal, this gritty samurai dark fantasy is really right up my alley.  Narratively and visually, it’s pretty exhilarating.  If this had been any other season, it would have easily been my most favorite anime.

Also, I wonder, why is this anime named after the sidekick and not the main hero?  Hmmm.  Intriguing.

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War

In a nutshell:

Kaguya Shinomiya and Miyuki Shirogane – the vice-president and president of the student council, respectively – are at the top of Shuchiin Academy’s food chain.  Both are highly intelligent, talented, and popular.  And both like each other.  However, although they are somewhat aware of their mutual feelings, neither one is willing to declare his or her love as both are too proud to do so, believing that the one who makes the first move is the “loser.”  Thus, day in and day out, they engage in psychological warfare, contriving schemes that will force the other to give in and confess first.

Number of episodes as of writing: 2

My initial thoughts:

I’ve always enjoyed shows that involve two rivals competing in an intricate mental chess game (e.g. Death Note), and applying this concept on a romantic comedy is absolutely brilliant.   Who would have thought that something like what I can only describe as “tactical flirting” can be so riveting and hilarious?

My Roommate Is a Cat

In a nutshell:

Introverted novelist Subaru Mikazuki takes in a stray cat who has become the unlikely muse for his latest novel.  Hilarity ensues.

Number of episodes as of writing: 2

My initial thoughts:

I’m having as much laughs with this anime as I’m having with Kaguya-sama: Love Is War.  I also enjoy its narrative technique so far, which is making the episode unfold first through Subaru’s perspective, and then revealing more amusing and heartwarming layers to it by letting the key events play out again, but this time, through the cat’s perspective.

The Quintessential Quintuplets

In a nutshell:

High-school student Fuutarou Uesugi studies hard, and as a result, gets high grades.  However, he has a rude personality, which prevents him from having friends.  Not that he cares.  Moreover, his family is also dealing with a crippling debt problem.  An opportunity to help his family arises when he’s given a tutoring gig in a rich family.  To his surprise, his tutees are quintuplet sisters who are going to the same school as his, and are notoriously doing poorly in their academics.  To make matters worse, they don’t like him, and have firmly made it known to him that they have no interest in studying.  Thus, before Fuutarou can start helping them improve their grades, he must first win every single one of them over.

Number of episodes as of writing: 2

My initial thoughts:

This show is a lot of fun, and it has the potential to become more touching and hilarious than what it already is.  Moreover, for a harem show, it’s surprisingly wholesome.  Fan service is very minimal – almost non-existent.  And this ironically makes the show more appealing.

Another important detail is that it’s established early in a flashfoward that Fuutarou is going to marry one of these girls in the future.  So who among the five will become his bride?  This question injects an intriguing sense of mystery to the show.  Now, I think the identity of Fuutarou’s bride has been already made rather obvious, but on the other hand, it’s quite possible that she’ll end up being a superb red herring.

The Magnificent Kotobuki

In a nutshell:

A squadron of talented female pilots in World War II fighter planes serves as escorts for gigantic delivery zeppelins that are regularly threatened by sky pirates.

Number of episodes as of writing: 2

My initial thoughts:

This is the only show that I’m still on the fence.  On one hand, its blending of hand-drawn animation and CGI is a bit unpolished and aesthetically dry, and the story so far doesn’t quite have an oomph to it yet.  On the other hand, there’s a lot of charm coming from its steampunk-ish, Wild West-esque setting and almost cinematic dogfights.  I will be perfectly satisfied if it ends up being the fighter plane version of Girls und Panzer, but becoming something more distinguished than that is, of course, much preferable.