First Impressions - Fall 2020

 Written by Shiggins

Fall, only to rise.

Last time I did this First Impressions article, it nearly killed me. Maybe that and the combination of shit going on in my life are why this article is so late... but either way, I finally did it and I'm going to give more impressions of what I've watched so far! As always, just the first episode has been watched to see how I do, and thankfully, this season is a lot better than the painful crap last time. Did you see Gibiate?! What a disaster that one was!

Jujutsu Kaisen

I actually read a few chapters of this when I had some free time earlier this year (because 2020 is the year that doesn't stop giving us free time) and rather enjoyed it. I'm not entirely sure why I stopped, maybe I wasn't in the mood, but I'm glad to relive it in anime form, with Mappa bringing the goods this time. Always a treat.

One of Shonen Jump's newest series, Jujutsu Kaisen follows Yuji Itadori in highschool as the most athletic teenager ever, who would rather have fun with the Occult Club than anything sports-related. And like all anime, he comes across a stranger. In this case, it's sorcerer and monster hunter Megumi Fushigoro, who he helps fight off some monsters and becomes a sorcerer himself, while also creating another evil version of himself that he has to keep locked inside his body.

In a lot of ways, I'd say Jujutsu Kaisen feels like the spiritual successor to Bleach, much like Black Clover is to Naruto. And like Black Clover, I am aware JK eventually does grow into it's own and is worth checking out. There's nothing especially unique going on in this series, but the animation and speed kept me watching it, and the charm of the characters does make me recommend it if you're looking for a series that feels traditional and secure with what it wants to be. A few too many Bleach-like qualities here, but give it time and it will grow into a decent shonen, no doubt.

 

Iwa-kakeru! Climbing Girls

One day, I want to make an anime that's like all these sports shows, but it will be entirely about stamp collecting. Characters will have flashbacks about the amazing experiences of stamp collecting, there will be an evil rich rival who seeks to destroy the protagonist's collection of stamps, and the eventual best friend of the protagonist will be offended by the very idea of anyone taking stamp collecting with only 99% seriousness. 

And that's basically what this anime is like. Konomi Kasahara is a big lover of puzzles, and she's just arrived at the new school full of other girls. She also looks like a sane version of Hotaru Shidare from Dagashi Kashi. And of course, she immediately comes across the sports team centered around climbing and finds herself joining it because why not.

This is the kind of anime that makes me chuckle, but for all the wrong reasons. The ridiculous angles that best show off a girl's ass as she climbs, the absolute determination of the professional girl Jun who is basically gatekeeping climbing and looks almost offended when you imply it's fun, the emotional flashback that treats climbing a wall as if it's as important as a friend dying... It really is silly stuff. Yes, take the sport seriously if you want to be competitive with it but this anime treats it like it's life-or-death. So yeah, pretty fun.

Akudama Drive

From the minds behind Dangan Ronpa, including Kazutaka Kodaka, comes a brand new series, with Studio Pierrot taking the task to animate it. And despite the fact that Kodaka is no longer making Dangan Ronpa games, shows like Akudama Drive and games like Tribe Nine really do show that he's not going to abandon the look and feel of that series. What I'm saying is that Akudama Drive is as balls-to-the-wall ridiculous and over-the-top as you expect and want from this man.

In a foggy futuristic city called Kansai, the police have gone tyrannical and criminals have upped their game, being called "Akudama" and given a codename for what they specialise in. Our main protagonist's name is never revealed, so we have to know her as "Swindler" due to a misunderstanding, and she is placed into a terrifying situation involving the other big name Akudama, an explosive necklace, and lots of robots. 

So yeah, this is essentially Dangan Ronpa but with a new universe and no Monokuma. A lot of the Kodaka tropes are here, such as the dark humour, the big violent bruiser, the sadistic woman, the shorty with the brain, the nutjob with a love for chaos, the goofy overdramatic comic relief, and the mysterious bad boy who is so much of a rebel that he litters and his bike goes 3D! There's a lot of Quentin Tarantino influence going on, as well as Blade Runner and just comic books in general, judging by the way these characters are introduced. So it's looking like fans of Dangan Ronpa should check this one out, but I'm going to keep wary incase this is unable to forge an identity of it's own. Lots of fun though.

 

Noblesse

Another Crunchyroll/Webtoon original. After how well God of High School and Tower of God went down, have they managed to pull off a miracle three times in a row? Nah, not really. Not that it was awful or anything like that, but Tower of God was interesting because of it's unique art style and fantasy setting. God of High School was interesting because of it's madcap humour and amazing choreography. Noblesse has none of that.

Set in a high school because of course it is, Noblesse is about Raizel, who is currently trying to adapt to high school life alongside his more sociable friends and his butler Frankenstein and yes that is really his name, as well as a former experiment subject known as M-21, who is now working as a security guard. Meanwhile, a group of killers called DA-5 are hired to run an investigation in Japan, but all they do in this episode is open and close it so I don't have much to say except one of them should be voiced by Mark Hamill.

The thing about Noblesse is that there's something there that could be more interesting if it was done right. Humour is here but it feels held back by the animation and doesn't quite land as a result. The idea of a character from the past who is struggling to fit in with modern times is open for both comedy and drama, but nobody was interesting or unique enough in any way so I found myself pretty sleepy over it. Also, every single female seemed to be a background character to crave a bit of man-meat, and that's just weird, bro. However, I know this series has it's fans so maybe I'm in the minority with this one but I will definitely be giving this a skip.

The Gymnastics Samurai

YOU NEED TO WATCH THE OPENING! I won't dare spoil it, but the opening is easily one of my favourites of the year and if you aren't going to watch the anime, then at least check out the opening minute-long credits that every anime has because the songs, the clothes, the posing... it's magical. If this is what the anime is going to be like as the show goes, then I am so up for it. Which does make it a bit strange that the rest of the episode isn't really like that. 

In the year 2002 (yes, we're going to that year for some reason. Feel old yet?), Shotaro Agaraki is a competitive gymnast who is too injured to continue his career and must announce his retirement. His wife is dead and he only has his daughter Rei, who he is struggling to tell about because he knows it will break her heart. Somehow, this results in him adopting a ninja immigrant named Leonardo to live with him and deciding to not retire.

I'll be honest, and say I had no idea what was going to happen throughout this episode. I figured Shotaro wouldn't retire because that's the only way the show could progress, but I didn't expect the rest. The ninja Leo is absolutely adorable, I want to cuddle him forever. The comedy is surprisingly tight and strong despite the more subdued nature, and there are a lot of quiet moments to really drink it in. No lie, this might be one of my favourites of the season. A great way to close off this article.

What's been your favourite anime this season? Comment below, follow me on Twitter or donate to the Patreon!