Back when I started on AniTAY in 2019, I had participated in a number of seasonal “collabs” and select group reviews for various anime. Taking a page from our very own Doctorkev, I’ve decided to comb through and republish all of my previous contributions into one convenient post until they are ported over in the near future. Note that the non AniTAY Reviews are midseason impressions based on the first few episodes. Let’s take a look back at my first year:
Boogiepop and Others (Winter 2019)
Genre: Horror/Supernatural/Action/Fantasy/Mystery
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Funimation
Spoiler-free Synopsis: “The end of the beginning is also the beginning of the end, Boogiepop.” When a string of female students begin to disappear at Shinyo Academy, rumors begin circulating about a mysterious Shinigami who takes the lives of young girls at the height of their beauty. Some speak of a so called “Angel of Death” who brings salvation to those in pain. Others describe it as a natural phenomenon that appears whenever the circumstances align as a direct response to abnormalities in our world. Though the details may differ, this phantom does exist, and it has a name: Boogiepop.
Why You Should Be Watching: Based on the light novel series, Boogiepop and Others (2019) is the second anime adaption of the series that more closely follows the original novels as opposed to the anime original storyline of Boogiepop Phantom (2000).
One of the most interesting aspects of the Boogiepop novels is each story is told in a non-chronological order. Adapting this feature into a visual medium is no easy feat, but Madhouse (of One Punch Man and Overlord fame) stepped up to challenge by keeping the mystery and suspense intact. While this makes it a less casual viewing than most anime, requiring attention to detail and keeping characters in mind as they often reappear in unexpected ways or the focus shifts to them, Boogiepop succeeds by taking its time in rolling out the purpose for the titular Shinigami’s reappearance on Earth and defining each character’s ultimate role in whatever unnatural phenomenon Boogiepop is investigating.
By retaining the narrative structure of the books, Boogiepop is not afraid to misdirect or confuse its audience for the sake of the larger picture. After one episode, I was completely lost and wasn’t sure what I had just watched. To summarize, we follow Keiji Takeda who sees Boogiepop assisting an odd man on the street. Over the course of the episode, Keiji and Boogiepop begin conversing with the latter mentioning he came looking for a “man eater,” but the situation was already resolved, so Boogiepop would be leaving soon. We meet a few other characters who make a brief appearance, but their significance is held off as the following episodes fill in the missing blanks in the middle. There are a lot of “blink and you’ll miss” moments like this early on, and part of what keeps the show interesting is seeing how these side characters in one episode end up contributing to the main story arc.
In what I highly suspect will be the one of the season’s most talked about shows, Boogiepop and Others is a clear standout. Fans of deep, engaging, and complex stories will no doubt feel right at home with this one. While this style of storytelling may not fit everyone’s tastes, Boogiepop is a dynamic and fluid puzzle that rewards those with a penchant for mystery and a touch of the bizarre.
The Promised Neverland (The AniTAY Review)
The Promised Neverland marks an interesting shift in shonen storytelling at a time where several new series are starting to make a name for themselves by building on an established framework or carving their own path. Neverland firmly sits in the latter category, trading in large scale battles and over the top characters (with a few exceptions) for a darker, emotional tale about a family of orphans just trying to survive their unusual circumstances.
Over the course of the season, we get to know our three central protagonists and what drives them to push forward as the situation changes from bad to worse. Our main lead and heroine Emma fits a lot of the trademark shonen hero tropes we’ve come to expect from the genre while coming into her own by season’s end. Her character grows from idealistic child determined to save all of her family against all odds to a “warrior” who can take charge and stake her own life by the time the credits roll. Norman is the tactician of the group and often the voice of reason when disagreements break out. Though the most intelligent of the three, he is often shown to have a softer, empathic side, attempting to spare others pain or emotional turmoil. This is best exemplified by his determination to see Emma’s goal come true despite knowing the chances of success are slim. Rounding out the trio is the cool headed and calculating Ray. A realist and logical thinker, he often clashes with others out of concern for Emma and Norman. In one instance, he calls out Norman for shielding the other kids from reality by omitting details, concerned this might one day become a liability.
Whenever I describe The Promised Neverland, I often compare it to a modern day thriller/horror movie in anime form. The series is quick to establish the orphan’s mother, Isabella, as the central villain for this story arc, working behind the scenes to keep her children in line while establishing her authority as both caretaker and monster (continuing that horror analogy), all while maintaining that cold smile. It is this relationship between mother and children/hunter and prey that forms one of the most complex narratives of any recent anime as the children begin to understand the true nature of their supposed home and their mother’s role and motivations.
TL;DR: With its memorable characters, tense atmosphere, and compelling narrative of finding hope in the face of despair, The Promised Neverland stands out as not just one of the season’s best new entries; it is one of the best new series in recent memory.
The Rising of the Shield Hero (The AniTAY Review)
As one of the few who jumped in on The Rising of the Shield Hero much later in the spring season, I walked in knowing very little about the series aside from its controversial elements and it had attracted quite the following since its debut. Keeping an open (but skeptical) mind, I watched a few episodes and found an engaging narrative that kept me tuning in daily until I caught up with the simuldub nearing the season finale.
In the nearly hour long pilot, we are introduced to Naofumi Iwatani, your average otaku college student who is summoned into another world by opening a strange book at his library. He is made one of the four legendary heroes and is quickly robbed of his valuables and falsely accused of rape by his only party member. Though Naofumi’s transition from everyman to ruthless antihero is abrupt, his character arc drives much of the first cour and serves as an examination of the isekai concept as a whole, challenging some of the genre’s power fantasies. Overtime, Naofumi begins to clean up some of the other heroes’ messes that highlights their disconnect from what they perceive to be a virtual world with no consequences, unaware that their moments of glory created new problems upon their departure such as introducing a plague from a defeated dragon corpse or the overthrowing of one king which led to another corrupt government taking its place.
But for every major point or compelling story element, Shield Hero has an unfortunate habit of adding just one more detail that at times feel at odds with its central themes or completely undermine its message; and that’s before we get into the false rape charge and slavery elements. Naofumi’s relationship with Raphtalia, for example, forms a lot of the series’ best and worst aspects. In the one of the show’s most emotional moments, she is the first to be able see through his facade and gradually helps him restore his faith in others. But just as she gained her freedom, she voluntarily gets her slave crest reapplied as a sign of devotion to him. For all the goodwill Shield Hero builds up, it’s these add-on elements that prevents it from completely escaping the male power fantasy trope the genre has been building up in recent years.
TL;DR: With the isekai genre making up much of the seasonal anime shows this year, The Rising of the Shield Hero is the premiere standout for several reasons that go beyond its controversies; despite the unfortunate baggage from this fantasy subgenre that is reinforced here.
Lord El-Melloi II’s Case Files {Rail Zeppelin} Grace note (Summer 2019)
Written by: Dark Aether
Genre: Mystery, Fantasy, Supernatural
Where to Watch: Funimation, Crunchyroll
Spoiler-free Synopsis: Ten years have passed since the Fourth Holy Grail War. Waver Velvet, a participant of the previous war, is now a professor under the Clock Tower for the Mage’s Association. Going by the title of Lord El-Melloi II, he relies on his vast knowledge and deduction skills to solve mysteries and unravel the true nature behind the association. Joined by his apprentice, Gray, along with a number of familiar faces from the Fate universe, a new case is about to begin….
Why You Should Be Watching: Sharing the same world as Fate/Zero and Fate/stay night, Lord El-Melloi II’s Case Files {Rail Zeppelin} Grace note picks up right after the events of the Fourth Holy Grail War which ended with Waver Velvet as one of the few survivors and heavily changed his worldview. Though lacking in magical talent, El Melloi II highlights the title character’s ability to deal with the supernatural using a combination of logic, analysis, and some outside magical assistance from a few other notable Fate regulars.
Despite the misleadingly long title, El Melloi II is a Fate spinoff in all but name. And while that carries some assumed core elements (most of which apply here), rest assured that the show stands out on its own as one of the best standalone titles the series has to offer for those who may have already been burned out by the overabundance of media the franchise has generated in recent years. New to the series, El Melloi II is a detective show largely revolving around a number of cases that our titular protagonist is brought on to resolve ranging from murder to other forms of infighting and political backstabbing within the association. It is this inside look at the inner workings of the association that showcase the grim reality of being a mage in a Fate story with many of the murders serving as byproducts to other disputes or hidden agendas.
Then there is the personal look at Waver/El Melloi II himself. Though El Melloi II expects some prior knowledge of the story (specifically Fate/Zero), the show does an admirable job following up on Waver’s time as Iskandar’s (Rider’s) Master and his lingering regrets from that experience. He never truly moved on and is more than eager to reenter the next Holy Grail War, no matter the price to himself. Even without having watched Fate/Zero, El Melloi II continuously highlights the complex and deeply troubled nature of a man who is in the midst of figuring himself out; sometimes to humorous effect. Whether its focusing on his motivation to see Iskandar’s dream come true or his breakdown upon hearing his favorite tea shop might close, El Melloi II is not above kicking its protagonist down in various ways.
Lord El-Melloi II’s Case Files {Rail Zeppelin} Grace note is another solid Fate side story and a remarkable detective/fantasy tale in its own right. Beyond that, El Melloi II succeeds by expanding a previous side character and exploring their personal struggles a decade later.
Lord El-Melloi II’s Case Files {Rail Zeppelin} Grace note (The AniTAY Review)
When I first wrote the collab entry for Lord El-Melloi II’s Case Files {Rail Zeppelin} Grace note, I called it a “another solid Fate side story and a remarkable detective/fantasy tale in its own right.” Now that the season has concluded, did the show live up to its initial premise, or did its true nature not change at all?
The answer, much like the source material, is complex. Set 10 years after the events of Fate/Zero, El-Melloi II follows a much older Waver Velvet who has taken up residence at the Clock Tower as an instructor under the Mage’s Association. Under the new name of Lord El-Melloi II, he investigates magic related incidents and phenomena, uncovering other mysteries hidden within the association. In the story’s second half, the show enters the titular Rail Zeppelin (aka “the train arc”) and shifts into a singular case file with various threads tying the passengers onboard in a classic case of “Whodunit.”
For the most part, El-Melloi II continued to be an introspective on the titular character’s internal struggles and desire to fulfill a wish at all costs, as well as a commentary on the larger world of Fate. Entering the Rail Zeppelin in pursuit of a stolen relic with ties to Iskandar, the train arc sees Waver acknowledge the futility of attempting to reenter the Holy Grail War, knowing full well Iskandar would not be the same servant he fought alongside a decade ago, and at worst resulting in his death. In spite of that, he continues moving forward with the simple desire to see his friend again; a way for him to find some closure and escape the shadow of his younger self.
The Rail Zeppelin itself is an organ trafficking auction house that specializes in Magic Eyes to prospective mages. El-Melloi II continuously reminds us that the world of mages is built on deception with the train serving as yet another background for casual murder. It’s at this point where the story shifts focus back to the case at hand and where the show reminds us of its Fate roots. To recount the events that lead to the culprit would require a separate article, but without giving away more, it’s one of the most over the top leaps in “Fate logic” the series has done with several points of deviation, even by Fate standards.
TL;DR: Even though the actual mysteries are never the highlight, Lord El-Melloi II manages to be one of the stronger entries in the franchise with a tighter focus on its main cast (along with a few noteworthy faces), a well written protagonist, and the ability to not take itself too seriously at the start.
No Guns Life (Fall 2019)
Genre: Cyberpunk, Mystery, Noir, Action, Seinen
Where to Watch: Funimation
Spoiler-free Synopsis: In the aftermath of a great war, humanity was left with the technology to extensively modify their bodies with cybernetic parts. Having completed their service, many of these cyborgs, called Extended, turned to a life of crime to make ends meet. Juzo Inui is a former soldier turned Resolver; a private eye who investigates Extended related incidents. When a rogue extended crashes into his office with a boy in tow, he pleads for Juzo to protect him from the organization that controls the city. With no memory of his own past or how his head became a gun, Juzo’s life is about to become more complicated.
Why You Should Be Watching: The series that likely caught quite a few people’s interest with its over the top premise, No Guns Life had a few extra rounds hidden within its revolver. Set in a cyberpunk world with much of its population composed of cyborgs called “Extended,” Juzo Inui is a wise cracking private investigator who takes a straightforward approach to his work and his life.
From the start, NGL evokes a sense of familiarity for cyberpunk fans, immediately hitting most of the common tropes in the first few episodes while embracing the absurdity of its world. Though the genre has been a popular subject in everything from recent films, TV, and video games, the way it handles themes such as body modification and the influence of corporate interests can be hit or miss depending on the approach. NGL spends a significant amount of time establishing that its cybernetic community is human, with the Berühren Corporation currently being the sole entity that sees them as disposable tools. It’s this back and forth dialogue between Juzo and the people caught up in this conspiracy that reflects the state of the world and reinforce that you still need to be able to (in Juzo’s words) “wipe your own ass” even if society will not acknowledge you.
Of course, NGL is still very much about a guy with a gun for a head making witty remarks and being a badass. Suffering from amnesia, Juzo as a character is not terribly deep, but his cynicism and hard truths almost immediately come back around in some fashion, whether to make an observation or simply introduce some levity in between fighting the evil conglomerate. The second episode, for example, sees Juzo come up empty on the hunt for his favorite brand of cigarettes; a gag that’s played up even as the villain shows his hand. A literal smoking gun, NGL is not about subtlety, but it’s this bizarre approach between hardboiled detective turned unlikely guardian that somehow works in the show’s favor.
Despite its outward appearance and no-nonsense attitude, No Guns Life (much like its hero), is quickly escalating into something much bigger: child trafficking/experimentation, an organization hell bent on retrieving one of its “assets,” and the private eye himself caught in the middle with no knowledge of his own history.
Dark Aether is a writer/contributor for TAY and AniTAY. You can check his previous writings here, Medium, or follow him on Twitter @TheGrimAether. Not Dead Yet.
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