The Summer 2013 Anime Preview Guide

Carlo Santos

If watching anime and having opinions were superpowers, Carlo would be flying around saving people's lives. Instead he writes for Anime News Network, with his manga review column Right Turn Only!! coming out every other week. His favorite series of the last few seasons include Humanity Has Declined, From the New World, Psycho-Pass, Robotics;Notes, Chihayafuru 2, Flowers of Evil, Attack on Titan, and The Devil Is a Part-Timer!.

Danganronpa: The Animation

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)

Review:
Aside from a prologue scene that looks like a snazzy art-school project, Danganronpa: The Animation is poorly animated. Character movement is choppy, the camerawork relies on stiff, uninteresting angles, and the first episode—which is supposed to be a high-quality attention-grabber—relies on a lot of static scenes and slow pans. But there's one way to get around a lack of technical resources, and that's by injecting everything with sheer passion. Which is what Danganronpa has in spades.

The story is a twisted, tongue-in-cheek take on the old "exclusive school with ridiculously talented students" concept. Makoto Naegi, the most average guy on the planet, has been randomly selected to join Hope's Peak Academy, which brings together various teenage prodigies. After arriving at the opening ceremony, Makoto meets a cadre of "Super High-School Level" students, whose abilities range from sports, to arts, to academics, to more questionable skills like fortune-telling. The series' strength is that it pushes all of these tropes to the max—you don't just get a gangster biker, you get the most gangster biker-ish stereotype a creator could dream of. The outrageous character designs, with their impossible hair and over-the-top outfits, are a big help in differentiating the series' large cast.

The demented side of the story kicks in when the students meet Monokuma, a teddy bear and the school's principal, who ominously tells them that they're stuck here forever. The only way out is to commit murder, thus setting up the classic kill-or-be-killed premise. It would be easy to dismiss this as a clichéd teenage thriller, but Danganronpa challenges preconceptions by refusing to take itself too seriously. Makoto might just get out of this alive, but he'll meet some very colorful characters along the way, and trying to figure out the school's Baroque, illogical layout is part of the fun too. The show won't win any prizes for animation, but its visual designs are intense to say the least, and the chaotic soundtrack adds to that feeling too. This is looking like a very twisted, trippy ride.

Danganronpa: The Animation is available streaming at Funimation.

Rating: 4 (of 5)

Review:
One of my earliest anime memories is watching a dubbed version of Gatchaman known as G-Force. I'm old enough to recall watching it, but too young to remember any specific plot details. That's similar to the approach taken by Gatchman Crowds, which follows the general concept of the original but rewrites everything else.

Episode 1 opens with a young man following a certain target around the city. Everyone knows where this is going—he's going to hunt down a bad guy and finish him. Meanwhile, a lively schoolgirl named Hajime Ichinose wonders if the superhero concept of Gatchaman could really exist, and she gets her answer when a mysterious silver-haired man awakens Hajime's latent powers. Eventually Hajime and the young man (named Sugune) cross paths, just as Sugune transforms into a fancy powersuit, flushes out his target, and dispenses some high-tech justice.

Unfortunately, that's the point where the episode slides into a midway lull. It gets too caught up in world-building, with Sugune introducing Hajime to the Gatchaman team, and an annoying animal mascot explaining their secret galactic war against aliens known as MESS. (Apparently, regular humans never notice the heroes in action because of a convenient cop-out device.) The episode ends on an upswing, though, as Sugune and Hajime are called into action, and Hajime wields her powers for the first time in a spiffy transformation scene.

Is it a cheesy concept? Of course—but so was the original. The plot is enough to get the job done, introducing a slick sci-fi world and a varied cast of characters, but where Gatchaman Crowds really surpasses expectations is in its overall style. Visually, the series looks to the past (simple, streamlined character designs and a psychedelic color scheme), while also gesturing toward the future (polished CGI work and elaborate mechanical elements). The transformation scenes are brilliantly surreal, and the battles against MESS—brief as they are—prove that this production has plenty of talent and budget behind it. An electro-pop score also complements the series' modern vibe. Ultimately, old-time fans and newcomers alike can enjoy this sci-fi adventure.

Gatchaman Crowds is available streaming on Crunchyroll.

Silver Spoon

Rating: 3 (of 5)

Review:
Someday in the future, they'll be name-dropping Silver Spoon as proof that "anime can be about anything." This show takes a lighthearted look at farming, as seen through the eyes of an unsuspecting city kid. Yuugo Hachizen is a new student at Ooezo Agricultural High School (shortened to Ezonoo), an institution out in the boonies where young people receive a specialized, agriculturally-oriented education. This is reflected in one of the very first punchlines: as the students introduce themselves, they all say that they come from farming families, and plan to go into dairy production, or raising poultry, or animal husbandry ... and then there's Yuugo, who (secretly) just wanted to go to a boarding school far away from his folks.

Similarly, the other jokes in Episode 1 are broad culture-clash gags at Yuugo's expense: he has trouble dealing with a boisterous calf , he's amazed that these kids barely know math but are deep into genetic engineering, and where did they say chicken eggs come from?! The episode dips into some pretty lowbrow humor, but it's mostly just gross things you try not think about during dinner, rather than outright offensive material.

Eventually, Yuugo successfully completes a task with his classmates and gains a greater appreciation of farm-fresh eggs—a somewhat corny ending, where the outsider takes his first step toward being accepted. Thisis no heart-wrenching, character-driven school drama, nor is it a hokey gag-a-minute spoof on all things farming-related. Instead it splits the difference between the two, trying to please audiences in mild-mannered fashion with acts of student camaraderie or amusing trivia tidbits.

Saturated colors, picturesque backgrounds, and a couple of bouncy theme songs add to the cheerful countryside atmosphere. The overall visual style, though, is about as typically mainstream as it gets, aside from the widely varied character designs. Yuugo and friends get into a couple of action-packed scrapes that put the animators to the test, but let's be real—Silver Spoon will make its mark not because it's an artistic accomplishment, but because it tells a fun, appealing story.

Silver Spoon is available streaming on Crunchyroll.

Free! – Iwatobi Swim Club (Episode 2)

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)

Review:
As of Episode 2, Free! is charting out two distinct paths: one is the rivalry between brooding Haruka and hot-headed Rin, whose bonds of destiny were forged in childhood. The other is the more quotidian, let's-form-a-school-club fluff that brings the boys of Iwatobi High together. The Haruka/Rin angle is more compelling, leading to some terrific action scenes—the boys engage in a midnight swimming race as promised last episode, with detailed anatomy and water effects showing Haruka's excellent freestyle form. It also brings out some great drama, as the race's outcome leaves Rin stewing in his own bitter thoughts—and we don't find out why he's mad until later. Suffice to say, the rivalry between Rin and Haruka turns out more complex than expected; it's not just about who wins the race.

Meanwhile, Haruka's schoolmates Makoto and Nagisa work on starting up a school swim team, which is just standard slice-of-school-life business. Do we really need to watch a scene where they pick out a faculty advisor and get the club application approved? Lazy storytelling also presents itself in a montage where the boys clean out the pool and try to recruit more members. The one good thing to come out of this, though, is a running joke where Rin's sister Gou gets hot and bothered everytime she sees a finely muscled male swimmer—surely a wink and a nod from the animators to their audience.

At this point, series' school-life aspect could use more substance, but the visually appealing backgrounds, polished animation, and lively humor are all strong selling points. The presence of a certain bespectacled track athlete also suggests that the character mix is still growing. The music is improving as well, with some dramatic scoring (mostly during a poignant Haruka/Rin flashback) to balance out the canned electro tracks. Fans will come to Free! because it looks fun, but they'll stay once they discover the serious undertones.
 
Free! – Iwatobi Swim Club is available streaming on Crunchyroll.

WATAMOTE ~No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular!~

Rating: 1.5 (of 5)

Review:
Like a certain "teen romantic comedy" that aired just last season, WATAMOTE is a tale of an outsider who overthinks the high school social structure. Unlike that teen romantic comedy, however, it lacks any sarcasm or incisive psychological analysis; instead, it's just some kid muttering to herself about how her popular classmates are fools and she must be some kind of special snowflake. This solitary student, Tomoko Kuroki, enters high school thinking that her social fortunes are about to change—but loner habits die hard, and within weeks she's all alone yet again.

Tomoko's dilemma leads to a number of predictable self-improvement tactics: she checks herself out in the mirror to confirm she's not hideous, she looks up online tips to look more charming (and becomes a wreck when trying to employ them all at once), and even enlists the help of her soccer-obsessed brother. A day later, she scores some minor victories: she's able to say goodbye to her teacher at the end of the school day, she buys something at a convenience store where the cashier is super-attractive, and even goes to the "WcDonald's" to treat herself. But eating fast food alone always runs the risk of awkwardness, because if you run into anyone you know ...

Tomoko's quest to become a better people person is obvious, but the way WATAMOTE presents it, there's no twist or edge to it—she just comes off as a pitiful character with a pessimistic outlook and no redeeming talents. That her escapades consist of utterly mundane activities, either at school or at home, are no help either. The art style lacks any polish or subtlety, relying instead of exaggerated features (Tomoko's big, droopy eyes) and wild, sloppy linework to establish the series' look. Garish visual effects, like variations in lighting and stylized "lens flare," are another black mark against this show. Perhaps it's there just to cover up for lazy animation and dull backgrounds. A raucous opening theme gives this episode a big kick at the start, but sadly it's all downhill from there.

WATAMOTE ~No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular!~ is available streaming on Crunchyroll.

The World God Only Knows ~ Goddesses

Rating: 2.5 (of 5)

Review:
The third incarnation of The World God Only Knows begins several story arcs after where it left off, which is an astoundingly bad idea. The opening scenes introduce unapologetic geek Keima Katsuragi, who's been using his dating-sim skills to woo girls in real life and purify them of "loose souls" as part of a magical contract. However, the episode takes a clumsy turn after that, rushing through a montage of Keima's further romantic conquests so it can catch up to where the main storyline begins.

By this point, fans may find themselves questioning whether the new scenario is any good. The anime originally built its reputation on heartwarming (if contrived) tales of romance, where a 2D-obsessed boy learned a little bit more about human empathy with each relationship. Goddesses, on the other hand, takes Keima on some weird, world-expanding fantasy quest where he has to save the physical and spiritual realms. It turns out some of Keima's past girlfriends have become possessed by "goddesses"—his neighbor, Tenri, is now host to "Diana," who asks him for help, while another girl, idol singer Kanon Nakagawa, is having strange, disorienting visions of Apollo. The reason for the goddesses' emergence is that ancient demons have re-awoken, hoping to use loose souls for their own world domination plans. And so in one fell swoop, a show that once had a cute, supernaturally-tinged concept has turned into overblown RPG-style blather.

But there may be hope yet. The episode's final scene with Keima and Kanon, accompanied by swells of dramatic music, suggests that the emotional core may still be in there somewhere. The visuals feature plenty of crispness and bright colors, while the varied character designs move smoothly and energetically. Yet the lack of an idiosyncratic, artistic style gives it a bit of a bland flavor, and that along with the melodramatic storyline may be the series' downfall. Is this still the charming, love-and-magic world Keima only knows, or is it trying too hard to become a battle for the fate of the universe?

The World God Only Knows ~ Goddesses is available streaming on Crunchyroll.

Blood Lad

Rating: 3 (of 5)

Review:
Blood Lad is the hyperactive hit of the season, throwing comedy and action all into one volatile melting pot. It jumps into madness right from the start: Staz, the main character, introduces himself as a vampire descendant who's more interested in the human world (particularly pop-culture goods from Japan—groan) than in sucking blood. He's also in charge of a specific district in the demon world ... although he'd much rather be slacking off playing video games.

Plot momentum starts to pick up when Staz's goons capture a human girl who has accidentally entered their world, and he demands that she be brought to his apartment so they can talk. This results in some predictable culture-clash jokes ("There have been how many Final Fantasies?!"), but the moment doesn't last long before Staz has to battle a new demon who's barging in on his territory. During the scuffle, Staz fails to notice that his new human pal has been eaten and turned into a ghost. Consequently, Staz promises to bring the girl back to life—and he's going to start by figuring out how she got into the demon world (an ominous Black Curtain proves to be the smoking gun). Then begins the real adventure: Staz will cross over into the human world and find out what supernatural shenanigans caused this rift, and maybe do a little shopping on the side.

The episodecould be accused of trying to do too much at once, but the tropes are familiar enough (monsters, alternate worlds, geek humor) that most fans should be able to follow along. The real problem is that the main character's overenthusiasm can be grating, and the visual pacing is completely frenetic. Every other shot is taken at an angle, the numerous cuts and shifts in style are disorienting, and after a while it's as if they're just showing off how much budget they threw into the production. Blood Lad takes fans on a trip through a lively, colorful world full of wacky characters, but it wouldn't hurt to just slow down for a second.

Blood Lad is available streaming on Viz Anime.

Rating: 2 (of 5)

Review: If the new Rozen Maiden suffers from too much story in Episode 1, then The Eccentric Family faces a similar but opposite problem—not having enough substance or purpose. The concept behind it is appealing, if familiar: in the modern world, Japanese folk spirits like tanuki (raccoon-dogs) and tengu (flying goblins) still exist, but disguise themselves as humans to fit into society. The central character is a tanuki named Yasaburo, who disguises himself as a schoolgirl and gets some comedy mileage out of having a conspicuously male voice. The episode begins with him swiping some food in trickster fashion and paying a visit to his grumpy old mentor, Professor Akadama.

This is acceptable for an introduction, but from there the story starts to ramble awkwardly. The Professor asks Yasaburo about a fellow spirit named Benten (human world name: Satomi Suzuki), who's gotten herself involved with a shady crowd. Yasaburo is tasked with bringing Benten home, so he sends her a message in the most dramatic way possible—then later meets up with her at a bar, still trying to negotiate Benten back to "their side." Eventually there's another scene where Benten and the Professor cross paths contentiously, and in the end no one is quite satisfied with their situation. The problem with the episode's storytelling is that there's no specific buildup, no strong sense of conflict, and the relations between characters are implied rather than explained (aside from one flashback scene). If there's a concrete, compelling reason for Benten having gone to the wayside, or the Professor being a stereotypical grump, it sure would be nice to know.

Visual quality helps keep the episode watchable, though: the characters come alive with plenty of movement, and the lush background art brings together the beauty of nature with the bustle of modern Kyoto. Thankfully, the series also avoids cheesy "spirit power" special effects to express magic in this world. The music ranges anywhere from soothing to mildly mysterious, showing that the story is surely capable of expressing different ideas and emotions—if only it were better organized.

The Eccentric Family is available streaming on Crunchyroll.

Rating: 4 (of 5)

Review: The new Genshiken is everything longtime fans could have hoped for—the series riffs on the familiar topic of anime subculture, but with a fresh set of characters and fresh comedy material. There are still a couple of holdovers from the series' original run, though: Chika Ogiue, BL manga specialist, is now the president of her college club, the Genshiken (Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture). American import Sue continues to troll around, being a complete weirdo, while resident creeper Kuchiki—the club's last remaining male—continues to delude himself into thinking that he has his own harem.

This quirky core soon expands in size as Episode 1 sees the club recruiting new members at the start of the school year. Funnily enough, all of them are girls: Yoshitake, a dangerously enthusiastic self-confessed fujoshi, the quieter but similarly inclined Yajima, and Hato, who's so pretty that she ... wait. Hato ends up being the subject of a wild, gender-bending plot twist, and from that point the series continues to deliver one comedic hit after another. Kuchiki's inexplicable libido goes into overdrive, Sue brings in former member Madarame to test his gender sensibilities (all while quoting Bakemonogatari), and cosplay expert Ohno has her own devious plans for the club's most controversial new arrival.

Whether it's spouting one-liners or setting up an elaborate punchline, the characters of Genshiken provide a nonstop flow of fandom humor, and even more refreshing is the way it focuses on the female side. Second Season's characters aren't designed to pander to male viewers, but reflect the truth of the fujoshi culture with both insight and comedy. Elaborate background visuals also show great attention to detail, with every little knick-knack and piece of merchandise drawn into the clubroom scenes, along with a realistic college environment on the outisde. Although there aren't many opportunities for standout gesture animation, the varied character designs and their expressions show the same creativity as in the manga, staying true to Shimoku Kio's work. A pair of lively theme songs reflects the show's geeky joie de vivre—and all fans should be similarly excited.

Genshiken Second Season is available streaming on Crunchyroll.

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)

Review: Episode 1 of Rozen Maiden Zurückspulen goes on a wild ride, recapping the entire previous series as preparation for an alternate-world storyline. For those who simply enjoy the thrills of a dark, Rococo-styled fantasy, this episode will cater to all those needs. For those who like things to actually make sense, though, this may not be the best place to start.

At least no one can accuse it of being too slow. The show quickly introduces middle-school loner Jun Sakurada, who has just acquired a mysterious "living doll" named Shinku and is now caught up in a deadly elimination game between the world's most exquisite ball-jointed dolls. However, the plot starts to creak under its own weight when it starts shoving all the other dolls into the story at high speed. Black-clad antagonist Suigintou shows up and gets into a brief magical battle with Shinku, green and blue twins Suiseiseki ("Desu") and Souseiseki go through some personal drama, troublemaker Kanaria keeps trying to sneak into Jun's house, and child-like pink doll Hinaichigo is off in an entirely different subplot, experiencing some drama of her own. The preview for Episode 2 also makes it clear that what follows next week will be something entirely different. Is everyone thoroughly confused yet? (Longtime fans, of course, will understand exactly what's happening and should have no problem.)

The beauty of this world, and the fast-paced action, are pretty much what will keep prospective viewers interested for now. Elaborate character designs and costuming, plus a couple of fantastical, alternate-dimension settings, present the Rozen Maiden aesthetic in full force. The animation quality isn't quite first-rate, but it pulls off the battle scenes convincingly, with just a hint of computer-assisted effects. Intense, dramatic music sets the right mood, though the Ali Project opener doesn't sound as ominous as it usually does. So if you can survive one over-plotted recap episode of magical doll warfare, and enjoy the way it looks, it might be worth sticking around for more.

Rozen Maiden Zurückspulen is available streaming on Crunchyroll.

Rating: 2.5 (of 5)

Review: Servant X Service does exactly what it says. The series bills itself as a workplace comedy, and that's what viewers get for all of Episode 1—for better and for worse. Situations and punchlines are paced effectively, with no gag dragging on too for long, but the content of the humor lacks ambition. All of the jokes are about poking fun at simple character flaws, or lamenting the state of organizational bureaucracy. In short, it'd fit right in with daily American newspaper comics—and aren't most anime fans looking for something beyond that?

The series' main character is a young lady by the name of Yamagami, who's just started working at the local government-assistance center. She's joined by two co-workers close in age: Yutaka Hasebe, an irresponsible guy who only thinks of going on break or picking up women, and Saya Miyoshi, who would probably have more confidence if she'd ever had any work experience in anything. The episode riffs on the ups and downs of being a civil servant, whether it's being yelled at by exasperated citizens, following ridiculous regulations, or dealing with eccentric colleagues. Hasebe is practically his own punchline—is this guy really a slacker, or do his greasy interpersonal skills end up being helpful? The main joke, though, is that Yamagami became a civil servant to "get revenge" on an incompetent government registrar who let her parents get away with giving her an impossibly long name. That's as close as series gets to having a plot.

In addition to bland storytelling, the show's visuals also take the simplest route possible: lots of flat, basic colors and a minimalist sense of character design. The animation quality and backgrounds also show little sophistication, although given the fact that everything takes place in an office, it's understandable. Further adding to the light, skipping-along mood is a soundtrack that basically strings a bunch of cheery melodies together. Servant X Service may earn its share of cute laughs, but it does so with a bare minimum of effort.

Servant X Service is available streaming on Crunchyroll.

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)

Review: In the space of just a few minutes, Free! expresses the joy of swimming—a voice-over poetically describes the sensation of body against water, while flawless animation and underwater shots reveal the beauty of the sport. But after that outburst of artistry, the first episode soon reverts to its true form: a fairly decent high school sports anime.

At the center of the story is Haruka Nanase, a second-year student who used to swim competitively years ago but has since quit. Still, that doesn't stop his best buddy and former teammate Makoto from prodding him about it—and as luck would have it, Haruka later runs into Nagisa, another former swim club teammate who's just enrolled at his school. The story goes into something of a slice-of-life lull as the three boys recall their old swim club days, but the action picks up again when they sneak into their old (and now run-down) aquatic center. As the trio seeks out the trophy they once won as a relay team, who should be wandering around there but the team's fourth member, Rin, who's just returned from abroad. An unlikely coincidence? Maybe too much so. But this convenient twist of fate sets up the main conflict between Rin, who's now attending an elite school renowned for its swim team, and Haruka, who's thinking that maybe he should get back into swimming shape and prove his skills once more.

The episode's main faults are that it dwells too long on typical school-life activities—chatting with friends and hanging out between classes—and treats Makoto and Nagisa as bland sidekicks. But the passion of sport and the thrill of rivalry are already there, with the characters' determined gestures (and excessive hair-swishing) providing plenty of visual intensity. Detailed backgrounds and a rich color palette also show that the series won't be skimping on quality, especially at the pool. However, it'd be nice if they could change the soundtrack for something a bit more exciting than cheesy instructional-video music. As for the rest of it? Bring on the swimming races!

Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club is available streaming on Crunchyroll.

Rating: 2 (of 5)

Review: Being a Sengoku-era anime, Gifu Dodo!! Kanetsugu and Keiji deserves credit for two things: first, it doesn't use that overdone gimmick where a modern-day protagonist crosses paths with history; second, it refrains from gender-bending legendary Samurai Warriors into marketable moe girls. Instead, Kanetsugu and Keiji fails in a different way: it doesn't have anything interesting to say.

The series tries to make something out of the partnership between two lesser-known historical figures: "eccentric warrior" Maeda Keiji and his level-headed buddy, Naoe Kanetsugu of the Uesugi clan. Unfortunately, casual followers of Japanese history may find themselves thinking, Why should we care about these guys? Some early scenes try to make a point of how badass they are, but it only looks like overblown macho posturing. Then the episode dials back the clock to tell the real tale, which is about how Kanetsugu and Keiji originally met over a marriage dispute involving one of the Uesugi clan's retainers. Now, that might be the root of an interesting story, with clashing personalities ... but from a big-picture perspective, isn't this basically a historical footnote? And we're trying to make a whole anime out of this? Maybe they should have a random 21st-century visitor drop in after all.

But maybe relevance isn't the point. Maybe it's about enjoying how ridiculously tough Keiji and Kanetsugu are, occupying the same room and acting really stoic at first, then busting out and fending off bandits who try to attack Keiji near the end of the episode. So yes, the show gets the job done as far as action goes, but the story still lacks a definitive purpose.

On the plus side, vivid colors and fairly detailed character designs make the visuals pleasing to the eye (although it's no Sengoku Basara, that's for sure—and the small heads and broad shoulders can look odd at times). The animation, meanwhile, often resorts to simplified motion or straight-out static images, so this one's really only doing enough to get by. In the end, some chapters of history are best left in history books.

Gifu Dodo!! Kanetsugu and Keiji is available streaming on Crunchyroll.

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)

Review: There's a new competitor in the weirdness wars, and its name is Dog And Scissors. Every time this episode seems to have settled into a particular genre, something else pops up. Maybe that's the point, though—this story is so wild, so out-there, that it keeps everyone on their toes.

Episode 1 jumps into action almost instantly: middle-school bibliophile Harumi is at a café when an attack by an armed robber results in his untimely death. However, Harumi refuses to cross over, because he still hasn't read the last book in his favorite series by acclaimed author Shinobu Akiyama. Because of these unfulfilled desires, the story takes its first bizarre turn—Harumi's soul ends up inside a dog at a pet store. After some domestic-pet humor, the next twist of fate occurs when an eccentric young lady named Natsuno stops by the store and buys the dog, while playing nonchalantly with a pair of scissors. After realizing that the dog can telepathically communicate with her, Natsuno teases him mercilessly, then offers canine-Harumi the use of her personal library so that he can enjoy reading once more. Then—in one final twist that was given away in the prologue—we realize that Harumi's new owner is actually the famous author Akiyama.

Perhaps this show tries to do too much, with odd-couple humor and supernatural flourishes and cute animal hijinks all rolled into one. But it charges forward with such verve that one can't help but be entertained anyway. Even the visuals and music change at a whim, from calm, subtly-colored slice-of-life settings to sprightly gag-comedy moments and even some trippy abstract backgrounds when Harumi has his near-death experience. The animation can run a little choppy at times, but at least they're putting effort into it, with cute touches like a tuft of fur on Harumi's head bobbing up and down. Whatever Dog and Scissors plans to do next, it'll be fun, to say the least.

Dog And Scissors is available streaming on Crunchyroll.