Last time I talked about some of the new shows I saw, but there have been over twenty this season, so I watched more to give an honest opinion of the first episode of most of the new anime that have come out
Drifters
Imagine a world where the greatest warriors you’ve ever heard of aren’t really dead, but in the moment of their dying they are transported to a room with a guy sitting at a desk. That man decides where they go, kind of like a grim reaper or Hell from Norse mythology. All of these famous warriors are now transported to a place where they must work together and fight others like them in an endless battle. “Drifters” is the story of Shimazu Toyohisa, a well-known samurai from Japan’s past who meets up with Oda Nobunaga, another famous warrior from Japan’s past, and a variety of other people as they fight for their lives, all while not knowing of how they ended up here. All the characters remember the guy at the desk but not how they got to the place or left it. The action and colors in the show are very reminiscent of “Hellsing” and “Berserk” – after all, it’s based on the story by the author who wrote “Hellsing.” the premise is dark and very entertaining, and it will be fun to see who else from history arrives in this world. The director did a good job at pacing the first episode to introduce necessary characters and end it with a hint at who the enemy will be this season. “Drifters” is definitely worth a watch if you like the gritty action animes or historical figures and what if situations when two characters meet. Overall score: 9/10
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Izetta:The Last Witch
“Izetta:The Last Witch” is an alternate history story set during an alternative WWII where Germany is conquering a Europe-esque continent. As a young girl, the princess of a kingdom meets a witch, Izetta, and they become good friends. Flash forward to the 1940’s, the princess is running from German officers and encounters Izetta in a containment pod device. Izetta eventually breaks free and the story centers around protecting the kingdom from the invading forces. The story is similar to “Maria the Virgin Witch,” a show about a witch who doesn’t like wars and stops the Hundred Years War. In this case, however, it looks like the plot will focus more on the relationship between the princess and Izetta, who is the last witch, as well as the military that is geared up to stop the invasion. The unique plot and pace of the anime, as well as some darker moments, brings about a promising anime this season. Definitely keep up with it if you’re looking for a unique show with traits comparable to “Arslan” or others that have a focus on the characters as well as a strong military plot. Overall score: 8/10
March Comes In Like A Lion
The story centers around Rei Kiriyama, a 17-year-old who plays Shogi, which is a Japanese game similar to chess or checkers. The show covers his daily life as he struggles with the past and his current time as a professional player. The emotion the anime draws upon Rei is centered around his nightmares. Every time they show him sleeping, they showcase the fears he has about himself and the things he’s done. Rei appears to be hard on himself, but he has three sisters who keep him centered. The Kawamoto sisters are all unique in their own way and enjoy having Rei over at their quaint house. Rei prefers to be a loner, and he tries to go back to his place often, although the sisters always offer to have him over to their place. The first episode teaches the audience that Rei had a foster family, so it can be implied that either his family left him or they died, so the anime is not entirely light-hearted. The first episode is separated into two parts, so the anime might follow that pattern, which will give two different stories focused on Rei each week as he struggles with himself. The anime is definitely not for everyone, especially since it doesn’t have the action or the frequent comedy that most people enjoy, but instead looks to be a more drama focused show that might end up being a tear jerker. Overall score: 8/10
Kiss Him, Not Me
“Kiss Him, Not Me,” is the story of Kae Serinuma, a girl who loves to fantasize about gay relationships between hot guys, whether it be in the anime she watches or the guys at her school. When you first meet her, the audience is shown that she knows a lot of the attractive guys at school and loves a particular character in an anime. When she goes home to see the new episode of that anime, her favorite character dies, so she doesn’t eat or go to school for a long while. When she finally awakens, she’s lost a lot of weight and looks more attractive to the hot guys at her school. When all the guys see her, they end up asking her out on a date, but she can’t stop fantasizing about the guys being together, depending on what happens. The anime is definitely targeted more towards a female audience due to the nature of the show, similar to “Free!” and other sports anime. That being said, the humor in the show could end up being very repetitive, which could be the show’s undoing, seeing as it looks to be somewhat of a situational comedy. The fantasies that Kae have are what the comedy stemmed from for the most part. If you’re into romantic comedies and the kind of fantasies that Kae has, then this is the show for you. Overall score: 7/10
ClassicaLoid
Ever wonder what would happen if famous composers were more modern or Japanese in some way, like having pink hair or used music in a way that made transformers transform? Well, this is the anime for you. “ClassicaLoid” is about a girl who houses two famous composers who are very unique and quirky, which leads to funny moments based on their personalities. The show looks like it might have some action to it, especially because Bach appears to be a villain that wants to get Beethoven and the other Classicaloids who have escaped. The premise is definitely odd, but going into the show it was understood that it would be weird, but it had an acceptable outcome with the suspension of disbelief. The overall story looks to be promising in its own kooky way, and after the next few episodes, it’ll be known whether or not it is a show that is worth it to keep watching. If you have any interest in seeing what the show is like and are okay with outrageous shows like this, then give it a shot. Overall score 7.5/10
FlipFlappers
“FlipFlappers” is a fantastical story about Papika and Cocona, two different girls who meet in an odd way. Papika escapes from some facility with a talking robot and a flying surfboard-like device. Cocona is a normal school girl. When they meet, the robot transports both girls to a place called “Pure Illusion.” In this world, they find snow on the ground that tastes sweet and giant worm-like creatures that look like something out of a Miyazaki film. Papika is a very quirky character, while Cocona is just trying to figure out the world she has now become a part of. When Papika risks her life to retrieve Cocona’s glasses from a worm creature, she gets frozen under the surface of a lake. Cocona then has powers awaken within her that end up saving Papika, and together they escape the world of “Pure Illusion.” The anime is very light-hearted and cute in nature. The personalities of both are definitely entertaining, especially Papika and her carefree nature. If you want something that’s a little out there but fantastical, then this is the show for you. It’s definitely something to keep tabs on as it remains entertaining and engaging in the first episode and can end up being one of the best new shows this season, it’s already a favorite for me. Overall score: 8.5/10
Miss Bernard said.
“Miss Bernard said.” is about a girl who insists on being called Miss Bernard and wants to be well read even though she’s not read any books in the library. The first episode talks about various titles of books and quotes authors in a way to make jokes, since the anime is a short gag anime that only lasts around 4 minutes an episode. The first episode was okay at the beginning, but it could get better. For now, we have the lazy protagonist and have met some of her bookworm friends. The show is an easy watch, though the jokes are decent and the show has potential to have some great episodes. Overall score: 7/10
Ninja Girl & Samurai Master
“Ninja Girl & Samurai Master” is a short gag anime about a ninja named Chidori who tries to help Oda Nobunaga. The show is based off of the manga of the same name. The first episode was definitely an easy watch, as the humor was good, with jokes about ninjas sneaking into buildings and the ninja code. Overall, the anime is worth a watch and doesn’t take much time to see all the episodes. Overall score: 9/10
Long Riders!
“Long Riders” is about a group of college girls who do long distance cycling. Ami, the main character, falls in love with a folding bike when she sees it and, together with her best friend, they go out riding. Ami learns about what she needs to do when she rides long distances, including proper nutrition, sleep and other important things. Ami is your usual happy-go-lucky character but is quite clumsy. Her best friend is the kind of person who has experience and know-how as well as the athletic prowess that has other clubs interested in recruiting her. With three other students, the group goes out to ride bikes and train to eventually ride long distance. The first episode introduces most of the main girls as well as lets us know where Ami is starting out before we go further into the training she’ll have to endure to reach her goal. The characters aren’t different and are more commonplace. However, the concept is unique enough with starting from the ground up rather than a similar show “Yowamushi Pedal.” It is worth a watch to see the show and to see if it gets better over time as the audience grows with the main girl. It will be interesting, following the common sports anime time frame where you take an inexperienced player and watch them become amazing or more experienced in their sport. Overall score: 7.5/10
Magic of Stella
“Magic of Stella” revolves around Tamaki Honda, a freshman who joins a club that makes their own video games. Each member of the club has their own unique personality, while Tamaki is the quiet type who is unsure of what club to join at first. When she joins, they task her with drawing characters for her next game, since they need an artist and she has some experience drawing. However, most of what she draws is copying others works. The story isn’t unique in any way, and the characters are all well known types among older animes. The thing that makes this story special would be watching the main girl grow over the course of the show, since she doesn’t have experience drawing characters for games or drawing on a computer. The angle that the show takes is the most unique aspect, whereas the characters aren’t as unique, but in the long run the show might end up getting better. The first episode gave the audience the multiple plots for the season, including making the game and learning how to draw . With “New Game!” finished from last season, the previous game making anime, “Magic of Stella” looks to fill the void for the game making anime. Whether or not it is successful hinges upon how the next few episodes play out and if it can doing anything new that will make the audience come back for more. Overall score: 7/10
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Occultic;Nine
From the same people who brought you “Chaos;Head,” “Steins;Gate,” and “Robotics;Notes,]” comes the story of paranormal science. Each of the various stories previously revolved around some sort of science theme, and this year the new show is about the paranormal. The story centers on a 17-year-old kid’s paranormal blog and the small things that link each person together. Eventually, these little links will culminate in a larger event that can change the world. The show introduces each character in the show, even if their part might be small in the first episode. The premise is defined by the paranormal and, after the dark turn in the first episode showing how the show will be, we can expect a promising story. “Steins;Gate,” is the most well known in this franchise, and the second one to get an anime. “Occultic;Nine,” while somewhat flawed with its blatant fan service and other issues, has a nice range of personalities that over time might make for a really entertaining story. The first episode was definitely entertaining, and while somewhat all over the place, especially due to the small amount of time spent on other characters that made the story a little confusing, the story should end up fulfilling. If you’re interested in dark stories, eccentric characters, or stories where each piece leads to a larger puzzle, kind of like “Durarara” did in its first season, then watch “Occultic;Nine.” Overall score: 8.5/10
Collegian writer Kevin Avis can be reached at blogs@collegian.com. Leave a comment!!