First Impressions

I’m Bracing Myself for Disappointment with Adult Swim’s Lazarus (And So Can You!)

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Warning: The following contains minor spoilers for Lazarus, Episodes 1-3, now streaming on MAX.

I love Shinichiro Watanabe’s Cowboy Bebop, but like… in the way that I feel like most people love it. By that I mean I’ve watched it at least once, hold great respect for the artistry apparent in its creation, and I rewatch the three or four episodes I liked the most every once in a blue moon. I actually rewatch the movie more than I do the TV series. Bebop is awesome, but it probably wouldn’t make my top ten (unlike the movie, as I’ve written before).

I compare it loosely to my feelings on Vince Gilligan’s Breaking Bad because, despite it not being among my favorite TV shows, I recognize its patience and strong storytelling and thus have no issues sharing in the fandom’s appraisal of it. It’s possible to not love something while still recognizing its strengths and how it resonated with people. Good art doesn’t need to be for everyone, but I think it’s good (and even necessary) to appreciate widely acclaimed art even when we might not vibe with it.

On that note, it amuses me when I think about Watanabe’s popularity among even the most casual of anime fans, young and old. Without even leaning into it himself, this man has achieved a kind of brand recognition that can sell entire shows just by slapping his name on the tin. Granted, that’s not all that different from how most works from notable directors are marketed, but in Watanabe’s case, it strikes me as particularly impressive because I can easily imagine a universe in which his works are widely considered “mid”.

Bear with me, I’m going somewhere with this

[Repost] A First Impressions of The Millionaire Detective: Balance Unlimited

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The following are my first impressions of The Millionaire Detective that I wrote for Anime Quarterly back in July. If you like what you read and are interested in reading more by the AQ crew and me, be sure to bookmark AnimeQuarterly.com and make it your next frequent stop for anime news and reviews. Also, help us grow by supporting us on Patreon.

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I Wanted to Love Fire Force

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I have tried to watch Soul Eater on four different occasions and the farthest I’ve gotten is episode four. When I tell my friends this, they are surprised (for good reason). I have long been a huge fan of the works of Studio Bones, with two of my three favorite shows of all time having been made by them. I’m also a huge fan of sakuga and consider it to be one of the coolest things about watching anime. Most importantly, Takuya Igarashi is one of my favorite directors of all time.

That I was unable to get into a show applicable to all three above qualities is entirely explainable but still a head-scratcher. Especially if you’ve read any of my posts on Studio Bones in the past, it seems like a show I would love. The short of it was that the writing and characters did nothing to draw me into the show and I was somewhat bored.

But when I saw the trailers for David Production’s adaptation of Fire Force – another work from Soul Eater author Atsushi Okubo – I got excited. The artwork and music conveyed a darker tone and got me thinking that a different kind of story by the same creator might be more to my liking. Hell, it already looked like a show by Bones anyway and David Productions has been growing steadily thanks to stuff like Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. Fire Force quickly became my most anticipated show of the summer.

Now, as Fire Force‘s first season nears the midway point, I’m left a little underwhelmed. How did such a promising show fail to meet my expectations? More importantly, is it good enough to continue watching?

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I Saw Promare!!! My Thoughts on Trigger’s New Film

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I’ve discussed previously my disdain for the praise aimed at Trigger in its early days. The whole “savior of anime” meme got old quick with the industry growing larger than ever, and certainly not solely because of Trigger’s work. Funnily enough, as time has gone on, there are now a lot of people who seem to think Trigger is “stagnating,” but that’s kinda bullshit.

With their catalog having built up over the years, Trigger has only been getting more praiseworthy as time has gone on. Kiznaiver was one of the best looking shows of 2016, Gridman was one of my top five from last year, and I don’t think I stopped smiling the entire time I watched Space Patrol Luluco.

Now, director Hiroyuki Imaishi and screenwriter Kazuto Nakashima have reunited for a new project, this time a feature-length film. As I am in Japan currently, I took this rare opportunity to see the film in theaters. Because I am not fluent and didn’t pick up on everything, this is not a formal review, but I couldn’t resist taking the time to give my thoughts.

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Bungo Stray Dogs: Season Three & The Art of Wide Appeal

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Some months back I went on a whole tirade about finding my “perfect” anime and ended up determining my three favorite shows of all time. One of them was Kekkai Sensen, an episodic action series by Studio Bones, which remains to be the closest to perfection I have found. However, when making that decision, I had a significantly difficult time picking between that and one other show: Bungo Stray Dogs.

Bungo Stray Dogs follows the Armed Detective Agency, a group of superhuman detectives who keep order in the port city of Yokohama. Meanwhile, they frequently face off against other supernatural organizations such as the aptly named Port Mafia. All major characters are named and based on real literary authors.

They are somewhat similar in premise. Both shows follow a team of sometimes serious, sometimes whacky superhumans keeping the peace in their respective towns. Kekkai Sensen captures the packed insanity of New York City while throwing in aliens and monsters. Bungo favors a more comparably peaceful and modern Yokohama. Both shows are episodic with a through-line narrative, both straddle the line between dramatic and comedic and they are both produced by Bones.

Eventually, it was no contest that Kekkai Sensen won the battle for being a bit more put-together throughout, whereas BSD was mixed in the first season. It helps that the former has the single greatest season finale I’ve ever witnessed, putting at least the first season comfortably among my top three.

That being said, Bungo Stray Dogs rides much the same line that Kekkai Sensen treads in winning over my heart and could easily make my top 10. It has managed to continue strong, with a feature film and a currently-airing third season. Six episodes in, it doesn’t seem to be losing stride.

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Rising of the Shield Hero is 2019’s First Must-Watch

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I almost never watch Isekai anime, the genre centered around characters transported to other worlds. In recent years, the medium has been so oversaturated with shows like this and my few forays into the genre tended to be more negative than positive.

Today’s show is one that I never had any intention of watching out of a lack of interest. Truth be told I didn’t even know it was an Isekai, and upon learning that I was even less interested. And yet… The Rising of the Shield Hero has become one of the most surprising shows I have fallen in love with.

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Is SSSS. Gridman Trigger’s Next Misfire?

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This is my first impression of episodes 1-7 of SSSS. Gridman

Guys, the masterminds at Trigger are at it once again, breathing life into the mech genre and “saving anime”, because that’s still a thing people talk about. Not only is it full of bitchin’ mech fights, but it’s also got a potentially interesting story beneath the veneer of a monster of the week show.

Now I know what you’re gonna say: “Matthew, isn’t this the exact same fucking thing you said about Darling in the Franxx?” Well, yes, kinda, but trust me they’re gonna get it right this time. Today’s show, SSSS. Gridman could very well be the next Evangel–

-Whoa, whoa, whoa, it it’s only gonna be 12 episodes? Oh, fuck…

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What Am I Watching? August 27th, 2018

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Wow, it’s been a whole year since I did one of these? Not sure why I haven’t done these more since they’re a great buffer in between longer editorials for this blog… Well, whatever, while I work on reviews for Cowboy Bebop: The Movie and Megalo Box, I figured I would give you another (long-overdue) a glimpse into what is currently consuming my free time.

It’s not a long list, as I’m not one who can consume too many new shows in a given season and is even less capable of finishing those in my backlog. Regardless, hope you will all sound off in the comments about your thoughts about the shows on this list when all is said and done. Now let’s get on with it.
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First Impressions of DARLING in the FRANXX

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Studio Trigger, to me, is the darling (pun not intended) of the Anime industry. It didn’t start that way, mind you. The hype and praise surrounding it was merely built on the staff list and the ridiculous expectations of fans who were bound to be disappointed when Kill la Kill wasn’t perfection. Factor in several other duds like Ninja Slayer or the second Little Witch OVA and it starts feeling like Trigger was all talk.

Thankfully, with shows like Kiznaiver or Space Patrol Luluco, Trigger is starting to really earn the hype it garnered at the beginning. It is a studio overflowing with creativity, exploring new avenues and other genres with every project, even if they don’t always have a ton of money. Perhaps to rectify that specific issue, Trigger has partnered with A-1 Pictures to produce Darling in the Franxx, a brand new mech anime from the director of The Idolm@ster, Atsushi Nishigori.
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First Impressions of Blood Blockade Battlefront & Beyond

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It’s been two years since the end of Blood Blockade Battlefront, arguably the best show of 2015 and one of my personal favorite Anime of all time. You can check out my review of season one here.

Now, I won’t act like I didn’t have my doubts going into the currently airing sequel. I was cautious after hearing that Rie Matsumoto would not be directing this time around. The loss of one creative mind can mean a big difference in determining whether the ship will sail or sink. Thankfully, Blood Blockade Battlefront & Beyond has not just sailed in its first three episodes, it has soared.
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