I was not able to make a “first impressions” article for the new anime
of Fall 2020, so for this I will also mention here the new anime that I ended up dropping after watching just a few episodes. These are
once again arranged from worst to best, per my opinion, and are color coded as follows: purple for the new series I got into; green for old, returning series; red for carryovers from Summer 2020; and orange for the new series that I checked out but eventually dropped.
Hypnosis Mic: Division Rap Battle
Curiosity for this got the better of me because of the whole “shonen + rap”
nature of its premise. But the pilot
immediately lost my suspension of disbelief because it failed to sell the
aspect where women have taken over the world and banned weapons and physical
conflict. How is that rule
enforced? How come men, especially
criminals, somehow consented with it and have continued to adhere faithfully to
the rules of the only sanctioned way of resolving conflicts, which is through
rap battles? Further episodes may have
answered those questions, but the pilot was so tawdry and boring that I lost every drop of
interest in giving another episode a shot.
I’m Standing on a Million Lives
I dropped it after two episodes.
I realized I only have the time and energy for one pedestrian isekai
with uninspiring animation and horrible CGI, and I had to go with the more wholesome By the Grace of the Gods.
Ikebukuro West Gate Park
I checked it out because it felt like it was going to be like High & Low, which I adore. I got until episode three before I came to accept
that it’s not anything like High &
Low and dropped it.
Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina
The pilot is extremely charming, and the sakuga in it is
breathtaking. But is it just me or there
was a drop in production value in the second episode? Don’t get me wrong. Episode 2 still looked gorgeous. But it seemed to me that the visuals of
episode 1 were much more cinematic in comparison. Regardless of its validity, this “observation” kind of derailed the momentum of my investment toward
the show, and I ended up dropping it at episode 3. Nevertheless, it’s probably a fun, winsome,
cute anime, and there’s a good chance I would have grown fond of it if I had
continued watching.
Tonikaku Kawaii
Also known as Tonikawa: Over the
Moon for You and Fly Me to the
Moon, this has all the typical rom-com anime trappings. But before the show can get around to doing the usual lovey-dovey romantic arc, including all the “couple getting all shy and awkward
with each other while discovering what a relationship entails” stuff, a rather quirky
set-up is first established.
Our main boy has an unusual name that people make fun of. This motivated him to excel in his
studies. One night, boy is hit by a
truck, but a cute girl saved him from the brunt of the impact. Heavily injured, boy forces himself not to
pass out so that he can ask her out, knowing he will never see her again if he
lets her walk away. Girl responds that
she will only date him under one absurd condition – they must be married first. Boy agrees, and thus, the two get
engaged. He passes out. The girl is gone when he wakes up in a
hospital. Boy forgoes going to high
school, and instead starts working, saving up quite a sum in the process. Shortly after turning 18, boy is surprised when girl suddenly shows up on his doorstep.
They right away push through with getting married.
That is the ludicrous but striking pilot. After that, however, although the Princess Kaguya allusions about the girl’s mysterious origin give it an appealing sense of intrigue, the anime feels
like your standard rom-com anime all in all, and thus, I didn’t find it sufficiently compelling
to be watched regularly each week. So, I paused at episode 3. My plan was to catch up with it once I was
done watching the other anime above my watchlist. However, I never got around
to doing it before the year ended. And
with a jam-packed Winter 2021, I probably won’t ever be able to do so in the
near future.
Iwa-Kakeru! Sports Climbing Girls
Click here for my full review.
By Grace of the Gods
Noblesse
Moriarty the Patriot
I’m a sucker for anything Sherlock Holmes. And so far, I’m really enjoying this anime reimagination in which Sherlock’s archenemy is the central character. The season is a split-cour, and will resume in Spring 2021. Unlike with last Fall 2019’s split-cours Ascendance of a Bookworm and No Guns Life, I want to watch the entire season first before I write a full review for it.
Jujutsu Kaisen
It follows the stereotypical battle shonen formula, but it mostly does
it so well that it doesn’t matter. It’s
still pretty entertaining. The characters
are likable, the power system is interesting, and the action is kickass. Lastly, it has a striking OP, and an even
more striking ED. The first season is
continuing over this jam-packed Winter 2021, and I wonder if it will be able to
hold its own against the season’s numerous worthwhile anime.
Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle
Haikyu!!
Another exhilarating season is in the books for the GOAT of sports anime.
Fire Force
This is an anime that I feel is smarter and more thrilling than many
give it credit for. While I myself
enjoyed the first season more, likely because it had the “newness” factor, Fire Force’s sophomore season still proved
to be very pleasing, due to its complex lore, thought-provoking themes,
gripping storytelling, hyped action, and gorgeous animation.
Attack on Titan
There was no anime that I was more hyped for in 2020 than Attack on Titan season 4. And so far, it is meeting expectations. Sure, only four episodes aired in 2020. But the enjoyment I derived from them is
genuinely greater than the enjoyment I derived from any other anime of Fall
2020.
I’m rooting for it to only get better and better in 2021 and end up being an anime masterpiece. Fingers crossed!
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