「そうさ 俺は目覚めてしまった」 (Sou sa Ore wa Mezameteshimatta) “That`s Right, I Have Awakened” Following hot on the heels of other Vocaloid-related anime adaptations, Chuubyou Gekihatsu Boy aims to make a standalone story out of a song about boys afflicted by their own particular delusions of grandeur. Although it’d never be accused of being high art, it is amusing to see how each of the guys represents the more embarrassing heroic tropes from the past few decades and Mizuki helps carry the show as the unfortunate straight-man to the chaos they cause. What makes the leading men of Chuubyou Gekihatsu Boy fun to follow is how much they lift from their respective obsessions and how their existence pokes fun at the conventions that each of them embraces. Noda Yamato (Yamashita Daiki) is a forever young teenager whose love for sentai shows grants him an Izuku Midoriya-level obsession with being a hero and allows us to remember the cast easier by designating each character with their respective color. While he’s Red, he gives the title of Yellow to Tomoki Takashima (Nakamura Shugo), an attractive student whose appearance is deceiving when his obsession with an OS game called “I Love!” has him fixated on dedicating every fiber of his being to his 2D wife Sora-chan. Kazuhiro Nakamura (Kabumoto Hideaki), aka Black, has a personality that is the most engrained in contemporary chuuni anime as he has a penchant for adding dramatic flair to his conversations and takes time to writhe in pain as he imagines his right arm being possessed by the forbidden power of a demon lord. This episode’s last boy, Rei Tsukumo (Enoki Junya) isn’t given as much to work with other than being the rude character known as Purple, but his story will likely be elaborated on within the next episode as will a certain green-haired character we haven’t been introduced to. These guys are already amusing to see wreak havoc, but our main protagonist Mizuki Hijiri (Akasaki Chinatsu) helps sell many of their interactions. As she tries to enjoy her first days of school and attempts to have ordinary friends, she is constantly thwarted by the Hero Club’s members’ efforts to integrate her into her new school. The animation does its best work with Mizuki’s expressions as you can see her spirit slowly dying with each moment she has to spend with the boys. With every new quirk that she learns about them, she has a new expression on her face that emphasizes just how mind-numbing and head-scratching it is for her to be inadvertently locked into a new life where the students who give her the most attention are these guys. I can see the show indulging in the cliche’d parts of each of the boy’s quirks, especially since Mizuki herself is starting to experience out-of-this-world abilities that further excite the Hero Club. But from the initial set-up of the plot in this episode, Chuubyou Gekihatsu Boy should be a funny time-waster to watch just before the weekend begins and we get into the meatier shows this season.

「戦う乙女」 (Tatakau Otome) “The Fighting Maiden” The first episode of Val x Love harkens back to the kinder time-period of the early 2010s when the wondrous ecchi harem battle genre was at its apex. What helps support Val x Love as a formidable anime is that its nestled between the humorous set-up of a withdrawn misanthrope being forced to stay with a group of sisters and the fanservice that uses skinship as a means of powering up. When placed together, it makes for a soft, ample, and welcoming premiere that might just be your guilty pleasure for the Fall season. Far from being your standard bland harem protagonist, Akutsu Takuma (Hirose Yuuya) is a hilarious lead because of his predicament. Due to his scary appearance, he’s chosen not to associate with people around him, going so far as to focusing entirely on his studies. Although he’s largely sympathetic because of the unfair hand he was dealt by looking intimidating and losing his mother, I burst out in laughter when one student named Yamada flung himself out of a window because he’s frightened of Akutsu. Even though his Val x Love Wiki page doesn’t discuss him in the past tense and says he has a tendency of jumping out of windows, there are no updates on Yamada’s survival in this episode. He just leaps two or three stories out of his classroom. It’s absurd, but it was at that point where I knew I’d have a fonder impression of the anime than I thought I would. At this point in time, it’s amusing to see how much he recoils about the idea of needing to hold back his discontent with his home’s new residents. But nonetheless, Akutsu’s sympathetic background of being an avoidant student who learns to relate to humanity through his closer interactions with the Saotome sisters makes him a rewarding character to cheer for. Despite the lack of over-the-top fanservice in the premiere, it is nice to follow the Saotome sisters as well because the ones introduced have fun and vibrant personalities. Natsuki (Hondo Kaede) might indulge in some of the more overbearing harem lead tropes as the volatile and angry popular girl, but she is seen as more bearable later on when she grows comfortable with being around Akutsu. Of the sisters introduced, I’m partial to Itsuyo (Kakuma Ai), who bucks the dignified and refined veneer of your standard student council president by being the most forward about her ulterior motive towards getting as close as she can towards Akutsu. Another stand-out sister in this episode was Futaba (Hara Yumi), the motherly sister who finds a way to push Akutsu towards letting them stay in his house, having him study with Natsuki and getting him to walk to the store with her whilst holding hands. There is an illusive and harsher sister who makes a short appearance named Ichika (Uchiyama Yumi), but unfortunately, the most screentime she gets in this episode is in the ED. Overall, Val x Love is visual comfort food that might be an acquired taste based on your personal appreciation of lewd harem battle anime, but it is a guilty pleasure that is appealing and has a fun sense of humor. If you’re looking for an ecchi anime this season, Val x Love is your best bet.

「悪魔学校の入間くん」 (Akuma gakkō no iruma kun) “Iruma-kun from Demon School” It’s always a little scary to have two sleepers premiere on the same day, but on balance I’m pretty happy with what I’ve seen today. Mairimashita! Iruma-kun is rather the opposite of Chuubyou Gekihatsu Boy in that I know exactly why I had the feeling this series might surprise – the manga is well-regarded and I like what little I’ve read, and the cast here is very experienced and solid. But they’re very much alike in that I expect the both of them to be almost totally ignored by the Western audience. Mairimashita! Iruma-kun is the story of 14 year-old Suzuki Iruma (Murase Ayumu), whose parents are pretty awful even by animanga standards. Not only have they been exploiting him his entire life and forcing him to work, they pop the cherry on top by selling his soul to a demon. Given that the demon seems a rather affable old coot, Sullivan (Kuroda Takaya), who wants to adopt Iruma and send him to school – which his parents never did – it’s tempting to see this as the first favor they ever did him. But I’d say the jury is still out on that one. I think it should be understood early on that Iruma-kun is intended to be a kid-friendly series – it airs at 5:30 on Saturdays. Admittedly that doesn’t always mean much when you consider what gets broadcast at that time and on Sunday mornings in Japan, but the mindset of the series is a little less mean-spirited and puerile than one might otherwise expect. Iruma-kun is an unlucky boy to be sure and the cast is full of (youkai) teenaged girls, but comedy is really at the forefront here. All that is another nail in its coffin as far as the international audience goes, but the rewards of good all-ages anime are not to be dismissed so easily. Mind you, the jury is still out on whether Mairimashita is a good one, but I liked the first episode. Iruma comes off as likeable rather than pathetic, which is a necessary bar to clear. And he has some interesting quirks to him – like his total inability to say no (which actually saves him from being eaten when he agrees to Sullivan’s request that he become his grandson) or his superhuman ability to dodge attacks as a result of dodging the shit his parents have cast upon him since he was a baby. Just why Sullivan decided to have a human boy be his grandson isn’t made clear yet, but he tells Iruma he’s going to send him to the local demon school. He also happens to be the director of that school, and pretty much checks every box as far as ruining Iruma’s school life on the first day. Yet Iruma (who’ll be eaten if it’s discovered he’s human, as the hilarious school song reminds us) miraculously comes out of it as folk hero and the de facto school boss – especially after besting the reigning one, Asmodeus Alice (the always-stellar Kimura Ryouhei) in a “fight”. We’ll see if Mairimashita! Iruma-kun has enough tonal variety to succeed as more than a kids’ show. It has two cours to show off the charms of the manga, which while a great thing also raises the bar a little on that score. So far so good – I like the cast, I like the premise, and the humor generally clicks in a broad sort of way. I wouldn’t say I’m confident yet, but I certainly don’t see any reason to be less hopeful than I was going in.

「The Ugly Duckling」 Kurumantani Sora (Kaji Yuki), while not a fighter, will absolutely fight you. It’s his first day of High School, so you can bet that he’s going to be walking around the halls, getting to know his classmates, and signing up for clubs, right? Wrong. On his first day, Kurumantani was shaken down by delinquents and robbed, but with that being said, he took it like a champ. Look at that face. He’s such an endearing goofball that you can’t help rooting for him. His optimism and upbeat attitude buoy every scene. Even when he’s being bullied, locked up in an equipment closet, or flat-out beaten up, he’s never down for long before he rallies himself to show the “members” of the basketball team that what he lacks in height or strength, he makes up for with guts. He’s also a genuinely talented basketball player who can wipe the floor with the school’s team in their current state. Still, a deal’s a deal. If Sora can pull out a win next episode, he’ll have a team on his hands, albeit one that hasn’t practiced in ages. It’s not an unfamiliar set-up, but not an unwelcome one, either. From the pompadours to the classic bullying tactics and posturing, Ahiru no Sora feels like a callback to older sports series with an updated look and feel. The inspirational music welling in the background when the main character gathers his courage, the hooded eyes of emotion, the patient explaining of sports moves to the watching audience – it’s like coming home. It really does seem like updating older manga series has become something of a trend this year, though I’m hardly complaining. What I read of Hinata Takeshi’s manga was highly entertaining, with expressive character designs, humor, and action sequences that have translated magnificently to the animation. Backstories were certainly hinted at this episode, and though it was only implied, it certainly looks as though Sora’s shoes are all that he has left to remember his mother by, and that his motivation to become a basketball player is dedicated to her memory. Yet, in spite of that, he can still smile with his head held high. Sometimes, if you want something badly enough, you can make it happen, and like Chiaki (Konishi Katsuyuki) said, he has good vibes. People are drawn to those who chase after their dreams. The vocals are solid, especially from Kaji Yuki’s performance, the visual gags will definitely earn a chuckle, and as long as Ahiru no Sora can keep up the pace it’s set it’s safe to say that this will be a sports series worth keeping an eye on. Kuramantani Sora. Remember the name.

「一は凶兆を, 七は幸運を」 (Ichi wa Kyouchuu o, Nana wa Kouun o) “One Brings Bad Omens, Seven Brings Good…” Or is it!? The first episode of Keishichou Tokumu Bu Tokushu Kyouakuhan Taisaku Shitsu Dai Nana Ka: Tokunana presents a unique interpretation of Tokyo where elves, dwarves, vampires, and humans dwell in unity. Nanatsuki Seiji (Shimono Hiro) navigates through society as a detective who found himself entrenched in a group known as Special 7, a Special Crime Investigation Unit who enlists the best of the best to take on the riskier jobs in this brave new world. But will they make the most of their setting and interesting cast of characters or stick within the standard crime drama format in telling this story? From the first episode, it’s shaping up to steer towards the latter option. For all of the interesting fantasy elements that are added to the story, our first glimpse into the anime gives us very little of said elements. It could have done more to have us understand why its cool that you have a crime-fighting team comprised of several fantasy-based races. The few times we do see signs of characters exhibiting extraordinary feats are awesome as are some of the world-building details like vampires needing blood donations to survive, but it does, unfortunately, take a back-seat in favor of showing us how the Special 7 conducts their day-to-day heroics. There is some minor flair to the anime that helps set a nice, cool tone to the series such as the jazzy soundtrack and the sketch-like background filter, but it is window-dressing that doesn’t make itself as stylistically distinct from its contemporaries. And when you have crime dramas that do have a hook beyond the power duo of a young out-of-his-element rookie and the cocky seasoned pro, this show needed to start out strong by showing us just how having a diverse and powerful team gives them the edge above crime dramas with a better-defined identity. That’s not to say that the anime doesn’t have potential to grow from here as Seiji’s integration into the Special 7 allows us to learn the ins-and-outs of what the team excels at on their own merits. Those who were able to contribute to helping Seiji break up the hostage situation were some of the more interesting members of the crew. The coolest of which is a vampire samurai named Shikisai Akane whose lightning-fast abilities make quick work of a gunman’s bullets. Bellamer Cinq is another neat character in the squad as her hacking skills came in handy when blowing up a part of the famed Rainbow Bridge to stop the runaway criminals from getting away. We didn’t get as much of Endou Rokusuke, but his sniping skills and overall sense of style were also very impressive. As far as mythical beings goes, vampires have the highest edge for at least giving us some action from Akane’s perspective, but other than hinting at Seiji’s inhuman ability to take/dodge a bullet, it would be nice to see future episodes build on how dwarves and elves operate within the universe as well as more details on the pros & cons of being a vampire out in the field. If Keishichou Tokumu Bu Tokushu Kyouakuhan Taisaku Shitsu Dai Nana Ka: Tokunana is able to come out of its shell to show us more of how its fantasy characters and influence are integrated into its story it will surely be fascinating to see more of how they pull off an urban fantasy crime drama.

There’s actually three episodes of Babylon already out. They were released at the same time, like with Vinland Saga, and I assume they’re supposed to be all watched at once. I’ve only screencapped the first episode because I’m a busy Passerby, but you don’t really need more than those to get a general impression of the show. Babylon is an adaptation of a novel and is a talkie, in that most development is done by characters sharing information with other through dialogue. So, know what you’re getting into; unlike some other crime thrillers Babylon isn’t going to have much in the way of action, not even a firefight or a high-stakes chase scene. No, these are white collar prosecutors doing the police work so they’re going to politely tail their targets while obeying all relevant traffic laws, thank you very much. We live in a society!

Speaking of Babylon as a crime thriller, here’s how I recommend you dip your toes into Babylon. Watch the first episode right up until the first dead body. Are you curious yet? Thrillers like these rely on tension hooks to keep you watching, like the tried and true cliffhanger, which is a bit cheap but definitely effective. So, instead of watching to the end watch until the first whammy and see if that catches your attention. If it does, try to watch all of the first three episodes. Only then does Babylon really reveal its true form. I mentioned in the preview that the Babylon novel was written by the guy who wrote Seikai Suru Kado, and it’s easy to tell that the two are very similar stories in spirit. There’s a competent yet idealistic bureaucrat with a loyal but naive sidekick who is confronted with mind-bending creepiness that common sense cannot explain and is forced to re-evaluate the way he see the world. So while Babylon started as a thriller, with a mystery that gets more sinister and convoluted as the plot gets deeper, by the third episode it’s clear that it’s actually more interested in its philosophy. For example, while your average mystery-thriller would definitely have milked the political conspiracy sub-plot for all its worth and take it all the way to the climax, in Babylon it is resolved rather quickly in order to facilitate some sort of moral ethics dilemma within the protagonist (which is in turn resolved rather quickly so that we can, er, contemplate suicide, I guess). Sure, there’s still a mystery, and there’s still thrills, and perhaps even a dash of noir — we have a femme fatale, after all — but there’s no mistaking that Babylon has issues to ponder and its narrative is likely going to be a vehicle to do so.

Altogether, it’s interesting, noting that Seikai Suru Kado was also quite interesting even as it imploded. In a season rife with fantasy maybe a (somewhat sensational) debate on relevant modern issues like Babylonia is the ideal palate cleanser. Plus, it’s on the more mature side — or at least checks off the boxes for the classic triumvirate of mature themes (sex, drugs, and death) — which will make it stand further above the crowd. It’s not going to be everybody’s cup of tea, especially since suicide will never stop being a touchy subject in society, but it’s entertainment that will also give you something to think about, which is never a waste of time.