After a freakishly cold spring here in my new home in Washington state, summer has finally graced us with a semblance of warmth. It’s my first summer here in the Pacific Northwest and while the weather is exactly what I wanted, I’m spending this first weekend sick in my room. It’s a blessing in disguise, however, as I really needed this break from work to finally double down on my anime binging and writing.
This season I chose 9 new anime to dive into, and with Summer Time Rendering heading straight into its second cour, that makes a nice, rounded 10 anime to discuss today! This season had me particularly stoked for the return of Made in Abyss, and the general anime populace is finally getting treated to the return of our favorite fast-food employed Satan. Let’s hope his wage has gone up since last time! This season had one special surprise for me that I’m excited to get to, so without further ado, let’s start worst to best and rank these premieres!
My Stepmom’s Daughter is My Ex
Thanks to the giveaway title, I feel like I don’t have to sum up the plot that much for this anime. In fact, the anime itself didn’t waste anytime either, immediately inserting us well into the precarious situation of two ex’s now living as siblings. We don’t see the moment they move in together, instead opting to take us straight to the first day of school and having their dynamic already in motion. I found this refreshing as I think setting this up the more traditional way would be wasted time.
Unfortunately, this was the only refreshing thing about the premiere. What followed was a very typical and cheaply inspired rom-com set up that I think tried and failed to be three key things. First, it tries to set up a playful banter similar to Rascal Dreams of Bunny Girl Senpai or Oregairu that just falls flat. This is because a large portion of the dialogue involves snarky parroting that fails to differentiate either of these characters from each other. She says “Where are you going?” He says “Right back at ya. Where are you going?” She mentions not wanting to be seen with him, and he says… the same thing. In the art of making comebacks, these two are plagiarizing each other to the utmost degree.
Secondly, for the ecchi fans, the titillation here is lukewarm at best. She tries to come out with a bath towel, but the only steamy thing present was the bathroom she just came out of. The largest swing and miss, painfully, was the attempt at mind games. Again, this just felt like a meager attempt at recapturing the success of rom-coms like Teasing Master Takagi-san or Kaguya-sama Love is War, by having them have a playful contest in the interest of suspense. But all it did was kind of perk my eyebrows as the supposed wittiness of the characters felt too forced, and not actually clever. This is my one and only drop from the season so far, but dropping it quickly I am.
3.5/10
Overlord Season 4
The beloved Ains Ool Gown and his ever-expanding kingdom of evil continues his humorously good-natured reign over the video game world he was transported to 4 seasons ago now. There honestly wasn’t too much to report from this premiere. Rather than having a spectacle of a return, this fourth season simply eased us into the world as inconsequentially as possible. Lest anyone forgot, the show first wanted to remind us that Albedo is and always will be the number one simp.
While that was classic Overlord humor, the actual plot involved more political strategizing that basically amounted to “here’s the agenda for this season.” Ains-sama is trying to figure out what to do with the human race, who, by all of his subordinate’s standards, are vile scum. His desire for evil is a bit of a facade as it always has been, and we reinforce that his primary motivation is to find his friends. We haven’t really rallied up to this central plot point in a while so season 4 could be quite the shake up compared to seasons 2 and 3 which chose to focus on smaller stories and secondary cast.
The opening song is yet another spooky rock song which is always a perfect fit for this anime. I didn’t see any horrid CG like season 3 yet, so for by all measures, Overlord is off to a measured but solid start. A tad uneventful, but setting up things to come nonetheless with classic Overlord hijinks and character moments.
7/10
RWBY: Ice Queendom
This is my first foray into the RWBY universe! Dear readers, is there anything I should know going into this series? I went in completely blind but I didn’t feel at all confused or anything like that. Well, except for this random Black Rock Shooter reference, which is another series I have never dived into. RWBY was fun! 4 strong-willed heroines with absurdly cool weapons and fighting styles all finding their own way into this prestigious academy had me sold from the get go.
The setup is brisk, throwing us into a key moment of all four heroine’s lives and seeing the moment they get accepted into their school of choice. I can’t tell who my favorite is, but two in particular have won me over a bit more at this point. That is Weiss and Blake. Or, I’m guessing, White and Black. Weiss had the classic underdog setup mixed with the smug unapproving father. Her Achilles’ Heel factor with her being only able to withstand one or two hits is a really cool weakness to try to overcome. It means there’s actually a logical reason to be hyper-agile and flashy with your moves because you literally can not trade blows with the enemy. Blake on the other hand ditched her partner in pursuit of her own goals, and clearly seemed to be morally at odds with him, so I found that obstinate behavior interesting.
But of course, the main course were the fights, and we were treated to many of them already. The animations team is clearly putting their all, and I loved every fight scene so far. That being said, the last time I was sold on refreshingly bold character and bolder fight scenes was God of the High School, and I remember how burnt out and disappointed with that anime I became. Let’s hope RWBY can fare better. The world building needs to kick in because while the characters have all been spotlighted, I know very little of this world and academy they are getting into.
7.5/10
Classroom of the Elite S2
Devil is a Part-timer may be the most anticipated and long-awaited return this season, but Classroom of the Elite’s 5 year hiatus and reputation as one of the best light novel’s in its genre is nothing to scoff at. Unfortunately this high-stakes psychological school competition kind of botched the adaptation in the first season. But the framework is still undeniably addicting. This is a battle royale that constantly introduces new means of group study and social dynamics and as someone who is very much piqued by these ideas, I’ll take them as often as I can.
The caveat to these social exams are that they often get a bit too theatrical and dramatic. Not everything can nail the mix of emotion and suspense like Squid Game did. Classroom of the Elite instead relies on a main character who’s dry delivery is equal parts boring, yet a bit entrancing. Season 1 was always on the cusp of greatness but ultimately floundered the delivery.
Season 2 takes place immediately after season 1 and introduces the next “game” which takes the competing teams, and divides them into new teams that include their own enemies. This exercise is a known quantity in game theory called the “Prisoner’s Dilemma” which serves to highlight why people may not cooperate when it initially seems in their best interest to do so. The rules baggage is something fierce, and nearly lost me along the way, but ultimately what really matters is the motivations of the players and that was presented in a bit more of a concise way. Nothing about this premiere is particularly masterful, but with a lack of methodological villains this season, this may be the best anime to do mental gymnastics in this time around.
7.5/10
Rent-a-Girlfriend S2
I’m not going to lie, I’m a definitely outlier in the anime community because I genuinely and unabashedly enjoy Rent-a-Girlfriend, while most of the online discourse about this show is that its like watching a dumpster fire that you can’t look away from. So with my credibility now in limbo, let me firmly put my neck on the chopping block by saying I also thoroughly enjoyed this premiere.
In this episode Kazuya sneaks across town to buy a ticket to Chizuru’s play, and ends up fascinated by her performance. This was a really good scene for me, but again, I felt like I was not on the same page as others. There was a review I read prior to writing this that was annoyed with Kazuya and insinuated that he was primarily focusing on Chizuru’s looks during her performance. This didn’t sit right with me because I did not remember that scene the same way. So I went back and watched it, and honestly, I think that reviewer just fabricated his shallowness because I didn’t see any of that. He starts off marveling at how she can become a different person. Then he starts naturally laughing at her jokes. He calls her “amazing.” Then he says that she’s standing out wondering if its the script but then concludes its her expression, timing, and movements. Then he comments at how the crowd awaits her every move because of her commanding presence on stage. His last statement is that she’s incredible. Not a SINGLE mention of her attractiveness or prettiness.
I bring all this up because, in general, that’s how a lot of the hate feels. It feels projected and from a position of superiority. When Kazuya does embarrassing things, people yell “Cringe” but then say “but I’ll watch this mess.” Like they can’t just admit an actual moment of enjoyment. Instead they have to scapegoat it to “oh it’s just good character designs, that’s the only reason I’m watching this cringe-fest.” I agree that Kazuya is insufferable, but it’s like the fans don’t allow him any sort of redemption and seemingly fabricate or exaggerate how bad he is. Anyways, that’s just my opinion, but I feel like this as a solid episode. Kazuya was cringe, but it’s already well-established that he has yet to learn another way of behaving. And as for as the Kazuya-scale goes, this is the best he’s been.
8/10
Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun
One of my favorite anime of all time is back for its long-awaited second season. Before any of you jump back into this adventure, please be aware that there was a Made in Abyss film that bridges the story between these two seasons. That movie was a direct sequel to season 1, and season 2 is a direct sequel to that movie. So please watch that film, and please be wary of the subject matter. Made in Abyss has long since shed it’s child-like innocent looking appearance. The movie pushed it to even more uncomfortable levels, and season 2 isn’t exactly lessening its grip by referencing a couple harrowing flashbacks right as the episode begins.
Made in Abyss is a brutal journey, and the deeper we venture, the more dire every circumstance becomes. I very rarely say this, but I think, for this season, we need to steel ourselves. Made in Abyss has already earned itself a bit of a controversial reputation with its depiction of violence, especially to its younger characters. That being said, Made in Abyss leverages its violence with its beauty, both in its visual presentation and its musical accompaniment. Kevin Penkin returns in full force, and I must say that it’s a relief to hear how poignant his music is when last season’s Rising of the Shield Hero almost squandered any point of having his skills on that project. Made in Abyss is one of the projects this composer excels with. The new vocal track that I’m calling “Gravity” for now is utterly gorgeous.
As for the visuals, well, interestingly enough, this episode was primarily a flashback out on the open sea. The abyss made very little in the way of appearances save for a money shot of the entrance to the next layer at the very end of the episode. So, as it stands, this premiere was surprisingly gray and muted, but in a way that gives me no reason to fear that this season overall is going to be one of the best forms of eye-candy for the next few months. Given that this episode’s most prominent characters that have yet to be worked into the greater plot, this episode wasn’t the 10/10 that the first season’s premiere was. But I’m just as excited to continue this journey because the mystical nature of the abyss, and the call of longing that adventurers have to explore its depths is still very much tangible. See you in the depths.
8.5/10
Call of the Night
My presumptions on this show were going to be a lot more influenced by blockbusters and the more action-oriented vampire flicks of this day and age. What I was treated to was a more hypnotic look into insomnia and that inexplicable feeling of being the only one out in the dead of the night, and that lunar-born surge of excitement that comes from that unique feeling. As someone who frequently drove home from friends houses at 3 in the morning enjoying a traffic-less interstate, this show spoke to me. It was the first anime that dedicated an episode to expressing a very specific feeling that nailed its execution since Blue Period and Yatora’s desire in that show to show his friends how he saw Shibuya and what it meant to him.
Simply put, this show nailed a vibe. Using fuzzy washed out neon colors and amazing city shots, this episode turned the city into a character. It turned nighttime into empathy. It confidently showcased how nightly wanderers can be so free-spirited. However, this is still a vampire show and Nazuna, the first vampire we see” is an eclectic but delightful character. For those who like Toga from My Hero Academia, this show is basically her spin off role. It’s got some erotic undertones and vampiric fiction tends to display, but there was no blatant or distracting fan service. I can’t say the whole show will be like that, but this show handled its subject matter in a much more natural way than I expected, despite Nazuna having a revealing body suit as her pajamas.
The other part I have to highlight is another oddly specific feeling which is the willingness to get led around an unfamiliar setting by a complete stranger. There were times in my life where my brain was in wander mode without a set destination and sometimes the idea of someone new taking me to a place I had never been felt like it’d result in some form of catharsis I couldn’t find for myself. I’m in a good place now of course, don’t worry about me, but this series of events in Call of the Night was particularly striking, reminiscent of following the white rabbit in Alice/The Matrix. Sometimes the new place you need to go is the same place you’ve always been just not the same way you’ve always gone to it.
8.5/10
While there’s currently no outright masterpieces out of our seasonal pickings, I’m pretty happy with what we have. Summer Time Rendering is also continuing to drop plot-twists like candy. I’m still a bit iffy as to whether I love that anime or not but I will be following it to the end of this season. Now its time for me to retreat to my bed as my sickly nature has drained too much of my energy. I apologize if this isn’t as proofread as it used to be. My focus was hard to come by this time but I at least wanted to get this out there while I had free time. What have you enjoyed this season so far? Did you watch anything I didn’t cover?
*Devil is a Part-Timer will be added next week as it’s airing a week later than everything else on the 14th.
*I am still waiting on “When Will Ayumu Make His Move” premiere to become available as well.
Lotus Viridis 