Autumn 2017 Week 4

If you missed it, my review schedule is up on my patreon site, though I will admit there is still plenty of movement going on this season. That is probably because of the sheer number of shows that have caught my interest and last season I’d have watched them just to have something kind of fun to talk about. This season however I’m probably going to end up dropping shows and putting them on my list of shows to come back to at a later date (which usually means a long time before I get to them). Still, this is where the shows currently sit on my list and hopefully they can continue to be fun. At the moment I have a lot of shows in my Must Watch and Usually Entertaining categories. I kind of know already some of them will wear thin as the season goes and they’ll start dropping down, but I’m kind of hopeful about a lot of them.

How is everyone else finding the Autumn anime season this year? Let me know in the comments below.

Must Watch

March Comes in Like a Lion Season 2 (Episode 24)

Wow. There were so many characters getting moments in this episode that when you just think about the show it feels like it should have been incredibly rushed. However, that wasn’t the case as every moment we saw has naturally built from previous moments with these characters. They are logical next steps or expansions on things we already knew and yet they give us that more complete picture. Really loved this episode and this series is making a very solid return.

Kino’s Journey (Episode 3)

Episode 3 just kind of reinforced what I liked about the previous episode and I’m kind of hooked on finding out where Kino will go next and what they will see. This show seems to be trying to avoid making any kind of statement but it raises a lot of issues and the parallels to reality work well at putting a lot of emotional weight behind seemingly simple situations. All and all, good fun so far.

The Ancient Magus’ Bride (Episode 3)

While I wasn’t entirely sold on some of this episode, The Ancient Magus’ Bride remains a beautiful anime to watch (both visually and emotionally). The few complaints I have about a slightly weaker story are pretty much offset by everything else this show offers. My thoughts are available on Weekend Otaku’s site where we reviewed the episode together.

Land of the Lustrous (Episode 3)

How do you make a story about anthropomorphized gem stones interesting and a truly emotional experience? Land of the Lustrous is taking a good shot at showing us exactly how to do that. The narrative is still a little bit sparse but the characters are really shining in this beautifully animated show. Well worth checking out.

Usually Entertaining

Girls’ Last Tour (Episode 3)

This continues to be pretty good viewing. The slow pace and very little happening is off-set by the richness of the world and a slow trickle of information about the past, as well as the two very charming leads. While this one probably isn’t going to become a must watch for me, I am definitely being entertained by this.

Anime-Gataris (Episode 3)

This is just so much fun. There might be better shows and even better parodies out there, but I’m really enjoying watching this and am liking the cast more and more. Hoping this continues to build on the foundation they’ve got here and hopefully they don’t go off the rails in a few episodes.

Recovery of an MMO Junkie (Episode 4)

The transition to focusing on the characters’ real lives for the first half of episode 3 was well made and really cemented this as a series I am enjoying. The MMO parts remain weaker, but with the context being provided by their real lives even those scenes are becoming more enjoyable. So episode 4 was a little bit slower to get started with the focus back on the game for a bit, but once it got going it was a very enjoyable episode.

Just Because (Episode 3)

I really am enjoying this fairly sleepy story so far. It isn’t overly exciting and nothing much is happening (transfer student, past relationships surfacing, new relationships forming, and lots of just kind of meandering) but it has a kind of charm that keeps me smiling during the episodes. Hopefully this continues along these lines.

Okay, I Guess

King’s Game (Episode 4)

Sensibly enough, I kind of get that the copious issues with characterisation and pacing are probably going to kill this as an enjoyable viewing experience for a wider audience. However, I like the premise of this as a horror and there are genuine moments that actually work (though the overall execution of the show needs some work if anyone was ever expected to take this seriously).

Sengoku Night Blood (Episode 4)

Continuing to be a relaxing viewing that isn’t really inspiring me to think or worry for the characters. Pretty chill experience of girl, with just enough personality that I probably shouldn’t mock her for being a blank slate but not enough to actually be a character, exploring fantasy warring states Japan complete with vampires and werewolves who all dress like characters rejected from a Final Fantasy line up. Anyway, I’m enjoying it but I’m not exactly going to sing its praises.

Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ (Episode 3)

Bring on the vampire boy with a grudge against Van. At the very least, this gave Cardia some reason to empathise with someone else and she started to actually seem more like a person in this episode because of it. Hopefully she keeps going because she may even gain a personality if this keeps up and then I will have to stop making fun of her.

Black Clover (Episode 4)

Finally this show is starting to move on a bit and this episode was the best so far. Still some issues and they are definitely running some jokes straight into the ground, but it is becoming a bit more enjoyable. Hopefully this is a sign of better things to come.

Juni Taisen: Zodiac War (Episode 4)

Yep, with Chicken gone we are back to boring characters who don’t actually seem to be in a hurry to kill each other even though they have a time limit before they die naturally of ingested poison. The one story point I took from this episode is that they couldn’t refuse to join the fight though why that might be or what the true purpose is has yet to actually be revealed.

Dies Irae (Episode 2)

Definitely still setting things up but improving as we continue along. This is kind of a good sign and I hope it continues. More murder, fights and high school life in this episode and a few hints at what is going on but nothing concrete yet.

UQ Holder (Episode 4)

The second half of the episode this week really kicked things up a notch. I’m still not overly impressed, but it is harmless fun so far. Well, harmless for the audience and not so much for the immortal characters. Making your cast immortal makes it pretty hard to up the tension so we seem to be going for pain and causing emotional distress at the moment.

They Made This?

Evil or Live (Episode 3)

Hey, first show into the They Made This category. It has the honour of having intrigued me enough that I want to know how it ends, while at the same time being more or less unwatchably bad during this third episode. Pretty much, other than the premise which is kind of interesting, this show has so far managed to butcher every other aspect and to be honest it is kind of cringe worthy.  We’ll see if it recovers later in the season or if it gets too bad and I end up dropping it.

Tried and Dropped

My Girlfriend is Shobitch (Episode 2)

TWOCAR (Episode 1)

Taisho Mebiusline Chicchaisan (Episode 1)

Love is Like A Cocktail (Episode 1)

Konohana Kitan (Episode 1)

A Sister’s All You Need (Episode 1)

Urahara (Episode 1)

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Thanks,

Karandi James.