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The Winter 2023 Anime Preview Guide


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pi8you



Joined: 24 Sep 2004
Posts: 172
Location: Minneapolis
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2023 3:16 am Reply with quote
Sunday/Monday batch:

The tale of outcasts was okay. A little heavy-handed on the villains, but teaching an immortal dork to actually understand the humans he's been around for ages is generally a fun setup. Maybe tiding me over while I wait for more Ancient Magus' Bride.

Handyman Saitou in Another World was actually really fun, amazing. I hope we never actually find out how he ended up over there, and I'll do my best Morlock impression if they do tell us.

Ippon Again was pretty alright, the judo was presented nicely and it knows how to dunk on its cast effectively. Like most sports anime I end up watching, I'll probably stick with it until I don't.

Reborn to Master the Blade at least provides a nice cause for reincarnation. Serviceable enough, but nothing particularly fun, it can have a couple more episodes to show signs of life. Which dragon defeat is more humiliating- thrown carrot or baby belch?

Malevolent Spirits: Monogatari has a solid premise and decent delivery, but it's tempered by an exceedingly generic look, and while I've gotten along fine with any number of weird weapons over the years, I just can't with Hyoma's. One or two more episodes to see if we get that promised paper scythe from the OP.

High Card didn't quite go where I'd expected, but I'm more than willing to see what nonsense play and counter-play Homura Kawamoto has in store when he's playing with action instead of, er, cards.

All Hail Farmland, All Hail John. Welcome back Vinland Saga and The Vampire Dies in No Time, you've both been missed for very different reasons. In/Spectre too, I suppose, but it almost lost me with that extremely clunky recap exposition.
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Covnam



Joined: 31 May 2005
Posts: 3781
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2023 3:47 am Reply with quote
Vampire Dies S2 - Episode 1 already had me laughing, so looks like nothing was lost between seasons

Reborn Blade - Seems fun so far. I wonder how much weight the genderswap and reincarnation will play in to things as that would make a good differentiator.
The Chris nickname is weird, but I guess it makes a little more sense in Japanese? I'm guessing it goes like this: Inglis-> Ingurisu -> Gurisu -(Gu & Ku being just a diacritic apart)> Kurisu -> Chris. Or is there some other reason given in-world?
The time jump is nice too to separate the MC, but it's odd that they seem somewhat familiar with things they haven't seen before...
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b-dragon



Joined: 21 Apr 2021
Posts: 488
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2023 9:24 am Reply with quote
I actually really liked Malevolent Spirits, though I can see why others might not. It certainly doesn't stand out visually, and Hyoma's a piece of work- even if understandably. But the conflict premise is interesting to me, and the rest of the cast seem like a bunch of weirdos, so I'm definitely giving it the 3 episode test.
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Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 11529
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2023 10:04 am Reply with quote
I got the feeling that the people behind 52 Card Pickup think it's way cooler than it actually is. It's not terrible, just sort of ordinary for all its eccentric flashiness. Everything from the slick dips to the snazzy car chases and weird one-on-one battles just seemed like they were trying too hard to be cool but never quite getting there. Because you can never be cool by trying to be cool, ya know?

Maybe now that the basics have mostly been laid out, they'll forget about being edgy and just do the story and then maybe they can achieve at least some facsimile of cool. However, though I don't think it was mentioned yet beyond the synopsis, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to get past these guys using working at a car maker as their cover. Like, much Tesla, very baggage.

Farming Saga in Another Vinland is looking good as ever. I was kinda like Caitlin in that I cooled a bit over the first series on Thorfinn's crazed rage machine to whom every problem was a nail to be stabbed dededededead, but I'm looking forward to a fresh start now after glimpsing his Thorazined version in the first episode.
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Saeryen



Joined: 26 Aug 2020
Posts: 950
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2023 12:07 pm Reply with quote
By the Grace of the Gods 2 had a nice first episode ripe with iyashikei-ness. I’m glad this sweet, soothing little show is back.
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ab2143



Joined: 09 Jan 2021
Posts: 743
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2023 1:12 pm Reply with quote
first ep of Campfire cooking in another world was great. The LNs are pretty exposition-heavy so I'm glad the anime only used what was necessary.

Wasn't expecting the Fenrir to be so floofy (no complaints)

it's a nice, relaxing isekai with great animation for the cooking scenes (got their priorities straight lol)
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SHD



Joined: 05 Apr 2015
Posts: 1757
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2023 1:45 pm Reply with quote
High Card - this one is reasonably fun. I agree with whoever said that it thinks it's more stylish than it actually is, but regardless it doesn't feel too tryhard, it doesn't seem to be taking itself terribly seriously so far. Also, turning things into edible(???) marbles you can use as weapons is one of the most hilarious powers I've seen being applied with a straight face, so the show had me from that moment on. The fact that Our Hero's power is basically "gun" is just icing on the cake.
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FireChick
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Joined: 26 Mar 2006
Posts: 2460
Location: United States
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2023 1:46 pm Reply with quote
Man, as someone who read the manga for Tale of the Outcasts and likes it, the anime really isn't doing the manga justice. For some reason the anime felt the need to have Wisteria almost be subjected to a torture chamber, when no such thing was ever shown in the anime. Plus, Marbas manages to get to her before the Father and her buyer manage to do anything to her. Why is the anime trying to amp up the darker parts of the show when it isn't needed? I hope later episodes tone this down a bit.
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FuzzyDave



Joined: 07 Jan 2022
Posts: 61
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2023 4:04 pm Reply with quote
FireChick wrote:
Man, as someone who read the manga for Tale of the Outcasts and likes it, the anime really isn't doing the manga justice. For some reason the anime felt the need to have Wisteria almost be subjected to a torture chamber, when no such thing was ever shown in the anime. Plus, Marbas manages to get to her before the Father and her buyer manage to do anything to her. Why is the anime trying to amp up the darker parts of the show when it isn't needed? I hope later episodes tone this down a bit.


Yeah, I really like the manga and this adaptation is not all I hoped it would be Sad
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SHD



Joined: 05 Apr 2015
Posts: 1757
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2023 4:54 pm Reply with quote
So I finally got around watching Trigun Stampede, and as a long-time fan of Trigun, both the manga and the '90s anime (that is one of my favorite anime ever), I have to say, it's...

...fine?

*GASP**SHOCK*

Obviously this is a new/alternate take on Trigun, and I already feel sorry for manga purists because they'll going to suffer every moment of this. Me, though, I don't really care about that, and so I'm not like in love, but I don't hate it either. My only complaints so far are:
- The pacing. As someone already mentioned they're blowing through all the big revelations of the story, which doesn't bother me (clearly they'll going to focus on something else with the limited time they have), but this episode a bit too much "as you know" type exposition and plot points being brought up out of the blue. Like when Roberto randomly asks Vash what he was afraid of, and Vash is like "I have a brother" and I'm like "huh? where did this conversation even come from??"
- Meryl and Roberto. If there's anyone they're doing dirty it's Meryl. :/ I don't see why they needed to take a capable, if a bit prim-and-proper, woman, and turn her into a naive ditzy girl who keeps getting talked down to by her male superior whose entire role seems to be to hang around and talk down to her. Just... why. If they wanted this sort of dynamics they could have just kept the Meryl & Milly duo with Meryl's original personality - they have a much more fun, much more equal dynamic.

Aside of that it was mostly OK, voice acting is mostly alright, looking forward to the next episode.

Oh, and the animation is perfectly OK, it's not going to make me fall in love with 3DCG, but it's not ugly either, and at parts it looks really cool. Elsewhere it's a bit meh, but nowhere near a level where it would come close to bothering me.


Last edited by SHD on Tue Jan 10, 2023 4:58 pm; edited 1 time in total
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writerpatrick



Joined: 29 Mar 2006
Posts: 679
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2023 4:56 pm Reply with quote
Mononogatari may have a prejudiced character, but that only leaves room for him to change. It's only the first episode. He might run into a character that changes his opinion. That would be a worthwhile character development.

High Card looks to be more interested than I expected. But it also seems like one where the second episode will give a better idea of what the show is like.
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GracieLizzy



Joined: 26 Sep 2006
Posts: 551
Location: Sunderland, England, UK
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2023 7:49 pm Reply with quote
Nicholas Dupree's 'Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire' ep 1 review wrote:
Chris was previously the king who founded this kingdom she's living in, so wouldn't it have been more interesting to see her experience life as a commoner rather than a well-off noble with immediate access to sword training and simple luxuries?


I've only read the first collection of the manga adaptation of the LN and watched this episode so far but if I recall I believe Inglis worked his way up from being a commoner mercenary to Kingship in his previous life, so being born into nobility from the start is just as new as being a girl is to them. At least that was the impression I got. The anime doesn't make that clear yet though.
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ninjamitsuki



Joined: 15 Sep 2007
Posts: 615
Location: Anywhere (Thanks, technology)
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2023 9:12 pm Reply with quote
Glad I'm not the only one who hates Roberto and Meryl's dynamic. I'm hoping and praying that Meryl goes through an arc where she becomes capable and Milly shows up.

Otherwise I'm pleasantly surprised by the animation and Vash is still Vash. But I'm just bummed it's not Trimax.
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smurky turkey



Joined: 30 Jan 2022
Posts: 2425
PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 2023 6:16 am Reply with quote
After having seen most/nearly all of the first episodes my first reaction is that this season is beyond loaded, I can not remember another season as full as this one. Secondly, most of the isekai series are of good quality and manage to avoid feeling bland. The season is also very varied in that nearly every genre has one two series to enjoy, be it mystery, action, romance, isekai, sports or comedy, I suppose the only one missing is horror.
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Penrhos



Joined: 09 Jun 2021
Posts: 169
PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 2023 8:12 am Reply with quote
Velorien wrote:
sakurahitagi wrote:
For reincarnated princess, I’m wondering if the prince convinced his friends to testify against his fiancé or if the commoner girl planned everything. I’m looking forward to seeing more of it.
I was curious about his as well. If this had been her triumphant moment of bringing down her rival, she should have been either smug or pretend-innocent. Instead, she seemed alarmed and confused from the start of the scene. It's almost as if they never talked to the victim before rolling out their list of "proven" accusations.

That suggests to me that it wasn't the prince, since if he wanted her to lie about the alleged bullying etc., he'd have let her in on the plan. In that case, it is presumably a plot by people manipulating him who either don't want Euphyllia's family to gain power or are out to undermine the royal family (because he has done an astounding amount of damage to the royal family's reputation very quickly, and seems on course to keep going).


Why this occurs is explained later in the Manga (probably well beyond how far the anime will adapt). spoiler[ She's has unintentionally charmed them - any more info on how/why would be a huge spoiler and isn't reveled for quite a while in the manga ] At this point you could easily draw parallels to the sister in otome games are tough for mobs and what's happening but it doesn't quite have that twist.

This is currently in my top 8 shows for the season and I'm looking forwards to the antics of our gremlin princess being adapted.
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