So, remember when I said that I would refuse to watch anything that is not streaming on either Crunchyroll or Funimation…. well …… as they say “never say never” and I now got a way to watch them, again. I’m not saying where or how, I really rather keep it to myself, but at least this means I can give out first impressions (and eventually final ones) of more highly anticipated shows I really want to check out. This doesn’t mean that I can check out EVERYTHING there is and the sources I can get some other shows (mainly ones on Netflix) are very limited, and now I’m finally able to write about my most anticipated Summer anime series of 2019.
*** New Anime Impressions ***
— Vinland Saga —
Based on the manga series by Makoto Yukimura (creator of “Planetes”)
Animated by WIT Studio (the “Attack on Titan” series, The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress)
Directed by Shuhei Yabuta (Inuyashiki)
Adapted by Hiroshi Seko (the “Mob Psycho 100” series, Inuyashiki, Banana Fish)
I’m personally a pretty strong history buff and when I found out that WIT studio was going to be producing the anime adaption of this realistic Viking manga series I was just simply ecstatic, especially coming from the anime masters of WIT and plus I still think they just finished on one of the greatest “Attack on Titan” anime arcs they have ever made! The story mostly follows a young boy named Thorfinn and his father, Thors, might as well be freaking Kratos from the last “God of War” game because he is almost just as buff and literally has the strength of over 5 men! Sadly, after a surprise attack, Thors is killed (in one of the most manliest ways imagined), yet Thorfinn was there when he passed and even managed to stowaway onto one of the opposing force’s stolen ships and later attempts to murder his father’s killer but then gets brutally humiliated. However Thorfinn is still set to seek revenge over his father’s death when he becomes stronger but in order to do so he actually joins the opposing Viking party and even gains some pretty badass dual knife skills along the way. Another cool feature of the series is that this does take place during real-life events of Viking history such as it goes over the Battle of Hjorungavagr and you meet Leif Erikson whom actually discovered North America before Christopher Columbus. WIT’s work on the series is just absolutely amazing and they do a phenomenal with all of the artwork, animation, backgrounds and character designs. Even the CG work is still on par with much of WIT’s past works but there isn’t too much it, thank goodness. Another great highlight is the soundtrack and while they didn’t get AoT’s Sawano they almost got the next best thing whom is Yataka Yamada and he did such an amazing job working on the “Tokyo Ghoul” anime series (but just don’t watch any of “:Re”) and his work on this is practically perfect to a “T”. Then there’s the opening theme and holy shit THIS IS AWESOME! I’ve personally never heard of the band “Survive Said The Prophet” but they are really making a name for themselves on this one, it has some mid 2000’s alt-rock era “screa-emo” parts but it really goes amazing with the mature and violent nature of the whole anime themes and I highly love all of the panning scenes the visuals bring out. Then we have another haunting and calm ballad from the highly amazing singer Aimer and the song almost sounds like it actually came from Iceland or Norway. After watching the first six episodes I already place my vote for this series as one of the best anime of 2019, every episode was an absolute joy to watch and this may turn out to be one of the best mature anime adaptions since the 1997 adaption of “Berserk”. Also amazing that the anime is already set to be 24 episodes long and being that the manga series is still ongoing to this day I’m really hoping this will be ending on a very well remembered note. Please do what you can to check this series out, you will not be disappointed, unless you just don’t like historical stuff and rather more watch crappy, low-grade fantasy/isekai shows. The anime series is exclusively streaming on Amazon Prime so if you have it then please watch it there, if not then try all you can to somehow do so by other means. The original manga series is being released by Kodansha USA and is currently up to volume 20.
** Now being that I’m not watching this series legally I will not be doing regular updates for this series but I plan to do a final impressions of it once I’m finished (when that we be, who knows, still crossing my fingers by the end of the year).
* Speaking of new show impressions, sadly my impressions for “BEM” have been delayed yet I’m really hoping to have it done for next month’s update.
*** Continuing Shows ***
- Katsute Kami Datta Kemono-tachi e - To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts - Honestly this series and it’s story are still going pretty good and I’m actually considering checking out the manga series once I’m finished with this season of episodes. The overall anime quality does have it’s ups and downs and the mid season episodes haven’t looked all that more great compared to the first four aired but it’s still well worth it for it’s characters and the dark, mature tale it’s portrays. Watching on Crunchyroll.
- Kanata no Astra - Lost in Space - Now this may turn out to be the sleeper hit of 2019 and I’m highly surprised how the story and it’s characters are turning out in this. I’m still not a huge fan of the series lower anime qualities but this maybe well worth it for it’s space survival tale alone. The story is kind of predictable and bit too, I guess, “shounen-ey” but really hoping these last four episodes will bring out a pretty remember-able space tale. Watching on Funimation.
- Tejina-senpai & Sounan Desu ka? - Magical Senpai & Are You Lost? - Of course being that each episode is only less than 15 minutes long I watch them both at the same time. At it’s mid-way point if I were to choose one of the two it would be “Are You Lost?” because I think the deserted island story and the girls attempting to survive on it is more interesting than booby magic girl although will admit that series is bringing out some decent laughs with it. Both are not phenomenal in their qualities but just some more stuff to shut your brain off and just watch. Watching on Crunchyroll.
- Dr. Stone - This series is more turning out to be the battle of the minds rather than the battle of the braun, yet I’m sure “Tarzan” will be making another appearance pretty soon. Also we still don’t really know much about how Senku got freed of his stone prison and then we find out there is a whole group of other stone survivors yet how the hell did they get freed? Yet after eight episodes this series is still a pretty fun blast to watch and also you may learn a thing or two on how certain things are really made as well as deal with the trials and tribulations on how to make them. Watching on Crunchyroll.
- Cop Craft - I’m sorry to say but this series is really not going well and remember when I said that episode 3 needed a bunch more sprucing up, well, that quality is pretty much the same with much of the mid-season episodes and the story is somewhat going in random directions. Like Tilarna swapping bodies with Kei’s black cat? Come on man…. I guess at least there are only four more planned episodes to go with this one but I think this will end up being just another “finish it and forget it” anime and kind of a bummer cuz I was rather enjoying it for it’s starting episodes. Watching on Funimation.
- Lord El-Melloi II (blah, blah, blah) - So you’re telling me it took them six episodes (actually 7 if you include the earlier pilot) to finally get into what the whole story is about? Sigh… Basically the “Rail Zeppelin” in it’s long-ass title refers to a specific train that has very strong magic properties and almost acts like the “tardis” from “Doctor Who” where it’s much more bigger on the inside than out, heck it can even fit in full size hotel rooms in it. Here team Melloi are tasked to investigate an auction held there where extremely wealthy magi elites purchase “mystic eyes” that grant them immense magical powers. Also the story seems to be turning into a “Mystery at the Orient Express” situation where a girl got completely beheaded but no one really knows who done it. Episodes 6 thru 12 is all part of the story arc that takes place on the train with one more being the finale and while the first six episodes of this series have somewhat been of a slow trudge I’m hoping this murder mystery arc will be making the series worth while. Also is good to say that Troyca has been putting in some pretty impressive work into just the last episode with an appearance of a certain phantasm that I don’t want to spoil. I still more think this series is for the Fate/Stay and Type-moon “elites” but hoping to have some mysterious fun with the rest of it. Watching on Crunchyroll.
- Granbelm - Much like with “Cop Craft” this series too is not going all that well either and it’s pretty hard to comprehend on what the freaking freak is really going on with these girls and this whole battle they are a part of. Yet we do find out that if one fighter gets completely defeated in the other dimension then their entire human existence is wiped out and replaced with an entirely different entity altogether, yikes! Talk about an extremely high stakes battle royale. Also we don’t have a final confirmation on how many episodes there are to this, I’m assuming this will be just a one-cour series yet being from the same director as “Re:Zero” this maybe could go more but I really don’t see that happening and I can’t really see myself go for more than 6 additional episodes of this either. Watching on Crunchyroll.
- YU-NO - Yes, we are back onto this one and deep down I really didn’t want to just dump it at it’s half-way point, I know the story is not completely award-winning here but I still think it’s fairly interesting enough to watch more of it, plus I still like Takuya more pervy antics. And now, lo and behold, the story is now on 100% full “isekai” mode where Takuya is tasked to find a certain material in this other dimension in order to not have his high school friend Kanna die in the real world. Plus I don’t really want to write spoilers but for the time Takuya is in this other world really makes me wonder if he’s successfully going to make out of it. Studio Feel made entirely different opening and ending themes with new songs from Konomi Suzuki and Asuka respectively just for this “isekai” arc and I think they are both just as good as the past ones (although the 1st ending theme was better done). Right now there are six more episodes left of the series and hoping this will end up as a decent show to watch although I don’t really expect this on the same levels as “Steins;Gate”. Watching on Crunchyroll.
- Enen no Shouboutai - Fire Force - This series is….. well …… sadly not better than Soul Eater, does have the same artistic styles of the earlier Okubu-san manga adaption although David Production is not on the same levels as the uber talents of Studio Bones. Also these mid season episodes really love to more show off their background art than it’s characters and you mostly see panned out, faceless drawings of the cast just talking. Yet when the anime finally decides to show off some action they really put in some good fire power into it. I still really like it’s demon fire fighting story and it’s goofy cast of interesting characters and looks like members of Team 8 are going into a conspiracy that I really don’t think they should be meddling with yet will at least will give Shinra possible insight on what really happened with his family as a child. Really praying this will be a much worth-while series to watch in the long run and with 24 episodes planned I’m hoping it will all be worth it. Watching on Crunchyroll.
- Kimetsu no Yaiba - Demon Slayer - Let me say this: if “Fortnite” uber player and streamer “NINJA” talks about how awesome this anime is then you better be paying attention. Also episode 19 alone maybe one of the best produced anime episodes studio ufotable has ever done! Honesty that was one of the most impressive TV anime episode productions I’ve seen since the episode from the more recent “Hunter x Hunter” when Gon fought Pitou. Seriously dude, bravo to all of their extremely hard and ridiculously amazing talents and honestly this may turn out to be one of the best Shounen Jump anime productions of all time! Yet what really sucks is there are only four more episodes to go for the season but I really don’t believe this will be the last we see of Tanjiro and Nezuko, hopefully there will not be a more than year-long break but we’ll just see. Watching on Crunchyroll.
- Something about Dungeons and Dating? - AKA: The Blue Ribboned Hestia Show! - While the first season was more about true adventuring and making a living delving into the further dungeon depths, this is series is really getting into strong “WTF?” territories and isn’t really all that much fun to follow. Studio J.C. Staff’s work on it is still pretty good, possibly better than in the 1st season but it’s story is a bit left to be desired. At least it’s more enjoyable to watch than all of the other newer “isekai” entries for this season but I’m more afraid this one will be even more forgettable than the 1st season and with four more episodes to go I think it’s yet another “finish it and forget it” deal. Watching on Crunchyroll.
- The Amazing Accelerator and Friends - Much like with the J.C. Staff anime above this too isn’t really all that much fun to follow with a pretty undesirable story and this is sad because Accel was damn awesome during both the main Magical Index story arcs as well as when his showed up during the Scientific Railgun series. With only four more episodes left I’ll see how the rest of this mess goes but I’m sure it will be a “finish it and forget it” show. Watching on Crunchyroll.
- Food Wars! - Just to remind you that I only just started this series when Toonami on Adult Swim recently started airing the English dub of the anime and I’m only up to episode 8 of the 1st season. Unlike with J.C. Staff’s anime work on “Dungeon II” and “Accel” at least I’m having fun and enjoying the crazy cooking antics of this one and also big up to Sentai for producing a pretty fun to watch English dub for the show. Also makes wonder if “Meat-meat” (AKA Ikumi Mito) is related to Guy Fieri cuz she can literally be his daughter and both have dyed blonde hair and dark tanned skin, plus likes to wear bikini bras with either flames or the U.S. flag on them. In the last episode I’m at you see Soma and Megumi in a cooking class where their main ingredients can only been gathered from nature just outside their classroom yet I’m sure Soma will be making some miracle dish up that will make their judge orgasim into “flavortown”, it’s so predicable but I’m still liking it. Watching on demand through Cartoon Network’s Toonami on Adult Swim.
- Black Clover - A thing about Studio Pierrot’s long airing Shounen Jump anime adaptions is you will have to deal with a whole bunch of honestly low-grade quality episodes (and even 100% garbage filler episodes and/or recaps) in order to finally get to a major story scene or battle that will be so amazingly done that it makes that long slog very much worth it and during the magic knight battle tournament arcs that time was at episode 84. It’s a battle between Yuno and the caption of the “Aqua Deer” squad and the highly detailed animation effects and even it’s smooth frame-rates were just mind-blowing and it’s definitely one of the best done animated sequences I’ve seen made by the studio (actually they were helped by a studio in Korea but still), not sure if it’s better than the battles they did with their work on the Naruto saga but it’s really, really high up there. Now the next question is how long will it take to get to the next “balls-to-the-wall” battle. Watching on demand through Cartoon Network’s Toonami on Adult Swim.
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