Fall 2020 Season Commencement

Oct 8, 2020 11:20 PM

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Jul 2018

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The Fall 2020 Season has ended! Check out our Fall 2020 Conclusion thread if you'd like to discuss this season further!

Hey! What's everyone watching this season?

Fall 2020 Anime

I haven't really been keeping up with seasonal anime since 2018 (with the exceptions of the El-Melloi Case Files in Summer 2019 & Madoka Magica Magia Record in Winter 2020), but this season I've been really hyped to watch the new Higurashi: When They Cry adaptation, as well as Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina.

Watching

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou
At long last! I actually binged all of the original Higurashi adaptation between episodes 2 and 3 of Gou because I couldn't handle the suspense-- what a ride. With that in mind, I definitely recommend watching the original first, as the new show is not really a readaptation, but a reimagining or even a sequel. I actually love the new designs by Akio just as much as the old ones. So far, it's living up to my expectations all the way!
Majo no Tabitabi
A talented witch girl's episodic travels, told through the journal she keeps. The show got really controversial around the third episode, but I still think the show is doing exactly what it set out to do. It's really an exposition of human emotion found in the world (even through cruelty)-- don't go in expecting a cute magic girl hero.
Maoujou de Oyasumi
Comfy, stupid show about a cute princess trying to make herself comfortable in a silly fantasy world. It's nothing spectacular, but it's fun!
Akudama Drive
Ended up picking this up midway through the season, check out my post in the Fall 2020 Conclusion thread to see my experience
Assault Lily: Bouquet
Ended up picking this up at the end of the season, check out my post in the Fall 2020 Conclusion thread to see my experience

Dropped

Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear
What looks to be a mediocre VRMMO/Isekai-- not really something I'm into these days. I was at least hoping, given the bear costume, it would have a focus on cuteness or comfiness, but it wasn't particularly so. As such, I dropped it pretty prematurely ):

Any shows you guys are watching that you would recommend for/against?

removed-userDec 25, 2020 5:37 PM

Oct 8, 2020 11:24 PM

mafoo5

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Aug 2016

Probably just Higurashi and Majo no Tabitabi

After the first episode of Higurashi, I'm not expecting too much but maybe Majo no Tabitabi will deliver.

Oct 8, 2020 11:29 PM

removed-user

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mafoo5 said:
Probably just Higurashi and Majo no Tabitabi

After the first episode of Higurashi, I'm not expecting too much but maybe Majo no Tabitabi will deliver.

Would you recommend the original Higurashi adaptation instead, judging by how the first two episodes went? I like the premise and atmosphere, but I know a lot of old fans hate the new one based on what we've seen so far; I'm really just interested in experiencing the series either way

removed-userOct 28, 2020 6:20 PM

Oct 9, 2020 12:50 AM

Naroku1

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Jun 2015

I'm watching a lot of stuff this season actually. The ones that have caught my eye are Tonikaku Kawaii, Kimi to Boku no Saigo no Senjou, Aruiwa Sekai ga Hajimaru Seisen, Majo no Tabitabi, Higurashi, Kami-tachi ni Hirowareta Otoko, Kamisama ni Natta hi, Munou na Nana, Yuukoku no Moriarty (maybe), Maoujou de Oyasumi, Akudama Drive, Iwa Kakeru Sport Climbing Girls, and Senyoku no Sigrdrifa. Do note I haven't included any sequels like Golden Kamuy Season 3 or En En no Shouboutai, but I am watching them.

Tonikaku Kawaii
My primary interest from this show stems from knowing that its by the same mangaka that did Hayate no Gotoku. Knowing that it's the same mangaka, I hope to see some older style comedy that we don't get to see too often with our overly saturated anime community repeating isekai after isekai or overpowered MC after MC. The first episode didn't strike me as anything too special, but that's fine with me. I just want to see some good old style humor that brings back the nostalgia of some other shows like School Rumble.

Kimi to Boku no Saigo no Senjou, Aruiwa Sekai ga Hajimaru Seisen
This show. Imma be blunt. It's the type of show you see almost every season with an overpowered MC. Just like we had Maou Gakuin no Futekigousha last season, now we have this show along with a few others this season. Shows with overpowered MCs just have a kinda charm to them even if I know they aren't exactly the best plot wise or character wise.

Majo no Tabitabi
Seeing the first episode, I think the first episode was decent being able to see Elena come face to face with failure and grow up into a proper witch by the end of the episode. In a sense, I kinda see myself and the rest of society reflected in her having been an outstanding star for so long to finally run into something she genuinely struggled with. Helps me emphasize with her a little. Other than that, I hope to see it as a relaxing show, maybe like Kino no Tabi, getting to see how Elena interacts with the new places she'll travel to.

Higurashi
I've only heard some small tidbits of plot here and there over the years and never actually watched the old show. I personally am not too fond of the animation style. The colors feel a bit too bright for me along with how everything just looks kinda shiny. I'll admit it helps contrast with the underlying horror tones, but it just doesn't fit too well for me. Other than that, it's nice to see a classic being remade. Also saw that there's a new name for the anime that may hint at further story being animated compared to the old one. Higurashi is overall just a nice throwback to the older days that may be called edgey, but that's fine with me.

Kami-tachi ni Hirowareta Otoko
Another isekai slice of life type of show. Putting aside the kinda cute slimes that the MC lives with. I'm getting some Honzuki no Gekokujou vibes from this show, so I'm expecting a kinda releaxing isekai similar to what I expect from Majo no Tabitabi. Iyashikei type anime just bring a sort of calm to me.

Kamisama ni Natta hi
I know little to nothing other than that it's by the same person that made Angel Beats and Charlotte, Jun Maeda himself. That's all I really need to know, and I'm fine with that.

Munou na Nana
Wasn't expecting a whole lot from the show at first, but they pulled one over me with the first episode. I know it's been all over social media recently, but I'll avoid saying any explicit spoilers which kinda makes it hard for me to say anything. At first, it looks like we just got discount Deku (BNHA) stuck into a shabby school to train students to fight off some threat to the Earth. It gets more interesting though. Sorry that I can't really say much.

Yuukoku no Moriarty
James Moriarty, the arch rival of Sherlocke Holmes. It's nice to see an anti-hero show up in the season. It's also a decent plus that the story isn't as template made as other shows. First episode was alright. Nothing terribly special about it animation wise or plot wise. The plot is as you'd expect if you know anything about Moriarty's role in Sherlocke Holmes. We get a sorta detective-esque progression of the story with Moriarty leading along the plot investigating recent murders. I also saw that this show is slated to be a 2 cour show with 24 episodes, so that's upped my expectations a bit. I'm pretty interested in how the show will turn out once they introduce Sherlocke. Also, there's a butler that kinda looks like Ash Lynx if you want to just watch this show for the ikemen.

Maoujou de Oyasumi
As much as I joke about no sleep, this anime's whole focus is on the importance of it. We've got a princess kidnapped by the demon king. Of course, this princess could care less about where she is so much as whether she gets optimal sleep. As of such, the princess wreaks havoc on the Demon King's castle on her never ending quest for better quality sleep. Gives off Himouto Umaru vibes a little. Overall, the show is a nice little comedy with the princess' shenanigans driving the show. Did I mention the ending is done by Oresama? I love me some Oresama.

Akudama Drive
This show took me by surprise with it being an original anime without much advertisement in the community. For starters, it has very nice detailed backgrounds in the sci-fi cyberpunk setting of Japan. There's a fair bit of 3d animation here and there, but it's mostly done pretty well, and I'm pretty sure it's a hybrid of 2d and 3d. Nothing like the horrors of Berserk 2016. The thing that really struck me about this show was how similar it was to Danganronpa though. We've got criminals who are super in one way or another and an MC who's normal compared to them. I swear to god this this show is by the person that made Danganronpa or inspired by it in some way. But yeah, pretty cool show.

Iwa Kakeru Sport Climbing Girls
When I first watched this show, I was expecting some fanservicey sports show of the season. I am pleasantly surprised to say it's not a fanservice driven show. The characters are wearing sporty gear, but there aren't any horrible straight up ecchi moments with the characters going boing boing everywhere. They gave decent commentary on actual techniques and mentality for rock climbing. I really appreciate that this show is emphasizing the sport. After watching this show, I genuinely was a bit interested in rock climbing.

Senyoku no Sigrdrifa
Another Earth is invaded by mysterious creatures and girls need to defend it type of show. Seeing that the 1st episode was 40 minutes, my expectations went up a little. Having a 40 minute first episode really just gives shows a good first step into the season compared to others. The thing that caught me most on this show was that the 3d animation for fights was pretty nice. We had old style planes fighting off against an alien threat, and it all just looked great. The second thing that set it up for me was the cast of characters. I wouldn't say the characters are unique, but they have a nice pop to them. It's an all female main cast for the record. We've got classic tsundere, happy-go lucky, serious, and calm motherly character. They fit these molds, but they are changed up a little bit to make them more palatable. There was also one moment in episode 1 that made me go "This crazy person. I love you". It's just that kinda moment when the character does something stupid but cool at the same time that makes them likable. I'm not expecting much from this show story wise, but it looks like it'll be a fun ride for the characters.

Well, that's all folks. I need to get back to studying Math 31ah. Brain go brrrrrr

Oct 9, 2020 12:56 AM

mafoo5

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Aug 2016

de_gen_er_8 said:

mafoo5 said:
Probably just Higurashi and Majo no Tabitabi

After the first episode of Higurashi, I'm not expecting too much but maybe Majo no Tabitabi will deliver.

Would you recommend the original Higurashi adaptation instead, judging by how the first two episodes went? I like the premise, but I know a lot of old fans hate the new one; I'm really just interested in experiencing the series either way :D

Yes, I would. The Deen adaptation can be said to look "weird" at times but I thought it was really fine.

Oct 9, 2020 11:09 AM

JsKingBoo

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Dec 2015

I'm watching Majo no Tabitabi and that's it, just want some comfy vibes

Still have Niea under 7, Shinsekai Yori, and Appare Ranman on my backlog, lol

Oct 9, 2020 11:43 AM

removed-user

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Jul 2018

564074

Naroku1 said:

Majo no Tabitabi
... I hope to see it as a relaxing show, maybe like Kino no Tabi, getting to see how Elena interacts with the new places she'll travel to.

I keep hearing this comparison, would you recommend Kino no Tabi for someone who likes this kind of format? If so, which adaptation-- I noticed there's two different ones!

Naroku1 said:

Kami-tachi ni Hirowareta Otoko
Another isekai slice of life type of show. Putting aside the kinda cute slimes that the MC lives with. I'm getting some Honzuki no Gekokujou vibes from this show, so I'm expecting a kinda releaxing isekai similar to what I expect from Majo no Tabitabi. Iyashikei type anime just bring a sort of calm to me.

I'm kind of interested in slimes and relaxing setting, but I usually try to steer clear of isekai these days 0.0 Maybe I'll check it out. I also meant to watch Honzuki no Gekokujou when it was airing, but forgot-- did you like it?

Naroku1 said:

Kamisama ni Natta hi
I know little to nothing other than that it's by the same person that made Angel Beats and Charlotte, Jun Maeda himself. That's all I really need to know, and I'm fine with that.

I was actually just starting Angel Beats for the first time a few days ago, but the first episode didn't quite hook me in. You sound like a big fan, though: should I keep going with it?

Naroku1 said:

Maoujou de Oyasumi
Overall, the show is a nice little comedy with the princess' shenanigans driving the show. Did I mention the ending is done by Oresama? I love me some Oresama.

You've basically convinced me to watch this show.

Thanks for your write up! I actually hadn't looked at a few of these, maybe I'll check a few more out :)

removed-userOct 9, 2020 11:56 AM

Oct 9, 2020 1:10 PM

Naroku1

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Jun 2015

de_gen_er_8 said:

Naroku1 said:

Majo no Tabitabi
... I hope to see it as a relaxing show, maybe like Kino no Tabi, getting to see how Elena interacts with the new places she'll travel to.

I keep hearing this comparison, would you recommend Kino no Tabi for someone who likes this kind of format? If so, which adaptation-- I noticed there's two different ones!

Yes, I would recommend Kino no Tabi for this type of show. When I think of a traveling person going from one place to another, Kino no Tabi is among the first shows that come to mind. Partially because that type of story isn't explored very often since so many different settings is a challenge to make in and of itself. As for which Kino no Tabi to watch. I've seen both the old and new ones, albeiit it's been a while. Looking over the episodes list in mal, I saw there were a few episodes that overlap with each other plot wise, but I'd say there's enough different content in each to warrant watching both.

de_gen_er_8 said:

Honzuki no Gekokujou I quite liked. They did a nice job with the world building and the MC's relationship with everyone. I always love me some good world building. They even had a season 3 announced after season 2. Putting that stuff aside, I'd say the characters themselves are quite likable, and the show is fairly realistic with their portrayal of the MC and her being abnormal as an isekai person. Not in the sense that she's overpowered, but in the sense that she knows way more than she should know. So combining likable characters and creating good interactions between them makes the show very likable for me. As far as isekais go, I don't really mind them. It's okay to keep using the idea of going to another world so long as they're able to differentiate it well enough in my opinion. As for the slime Isekai mentioned here, I feel like it'll align closer to a daily life show as opposed to a fantasy adventure. That's just speculation though.

de_gen_er_8 said:

I was actually just starting Angel Beats for the first time a few days ago, but the first episode didn't quite hook me in. You sound like a big fan, though: should I keep going with it?

If I were to describe Angel Beats, I would say there are two main parts. The over the top comedic side and the sad backstory side. I for one am quite fond of over the top comedy since it reminds me of older comedy when anime was more freeform in what they could do. The sad backstories are alright if you don't emphasize with them. I recently rewatched it, and being able to see "regular" daily life in a school hit me a bit harder since we're in covid and all. If it's not your type of show from what I described above, then I think it's fine to pass on it, but I think overall the show is pretty decent. Jun Maeda seems to like mixing strong comedy with tragedy in order to make a sorta contrast with the two, and I personally like that.

de_gen_er_8 said:

Naroku1 said:

Maoujou de Oyasumi
Overall, the show is a nice little comedy with the princess' shenanigans driving the show. Did I mention the ending is done by Oresama? I love me some Oresama.

You've basically convinced me to watch this show.

Happy to see that you plan to watch it. Also happy to see that you seem to like Oresama given that's the part you quoted. Oresama gives some nice energetic beats for when I need to get into the groove of things.

de_gen_er_8 said:

Thanks for your write up! I actually hadn't looked at a few of these, maybe I'll check a few more out :)

Happy to be of assistance!

Naroku1Oct 9, 2020 1:18 PM

Oct 15, 2020 4:40 PM

omgeveryone9

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Oct 2016

Two of the shows I'm watching are mainstays, but GBMs start at 5AM in Europe so I'm watching those as soon as they're out.

For Tonikaku Kawaii I have actually read the manga back when it just came out thanks to a recommendation, and it's definitely a guaranteed diabetes-inducing comfort show. Based on the manga, the show will definitely go the episodic route and should be a good anime to relax to at the end of the day.

Akudama Drive is definitely up to my alley as a cyberpunk fan, and man do I get a Suicide Squad vibe from this anime. Impressed with the animation and characters so far, though I'm setting my expectations low in terms of story progression.

Jujutsu Kaisen seems like your usual Shonen Jump material, which isn't quite my cup of tea. Then again it took a while before I got into Demon Slayer so I'm watching a few more eps to see if it's worth continuing. If any of y'all have read the manga, how is the series after all the main characters are introduced?

Outside of those three the only show that's on my radar is Majo no Tabitabi, which I'll wait and see if it's worth watching. Personally the season is relatively average for non-sequels so I'm mostly catching up on Summer anime and my on-hold list.

Oct 15, 2020 4:43 PM

#10

removed-user

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564074

omgeveryone9 said:

Akudama Drive is definitely up to my alley as a cyberpunk fan, and man do I get a Suicide Squad vibe from this anime. Impressed with the animation and characters so far, though I'm setting my expectations low in terms of story progression.

That's two people now who have expressed their surprise in how impressive it seems to be-- do you think it's worth checking out or should I wait and see? It sounds like an interesting show, tbh.

Oct 15, 2020 11:40 PM

#11

ducklife

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Feb 2019

the depths of seasonal hell is a pit you cannot escape from

from the shit i've seen an episode of:

Jujutsu Kaisen: Standard action shonen fare. Already read a chunk of the manga and its decent. Solid action shonen source + sick animation is all you really need to excite my tiny monkey brain.

Tonikaku Kawaii: Watched bc club. Prob would never watch it otherwise, bc it's kinda a snooze fest. Honestly a really creepy and clingy MC and shitty and cheap looking animation. Just don't bother and find some better romance anime to watch.

Majo no Tabitabi: Is good. Cute characters, nice premise, slick animation. Of course, being a mostly episodic fare, quality's prob gonna vary depending on the episode so who knows how it'll be later on.

Akudama Drive: idk how to feel about this. It's 100% style over substance, with a bunch of unique character designs doing cool shit even if it might not make sense. It's a level of ridiculousness with not much backing it yet, and honestly I'm not really feeling it that much, with fight scenes done in kinda meh CGI. But I'll wait and see if the characters develop past cool designs.

Adachi to Shimamura: Is slow paced yuri. Looks very pretty and has hints of interesting plot, but idk. Some points also feel mildly sleazy with jiggly tit physics and fanservice shots which I ain't a fan in me cutesy yuri stuff. Hopefully the plot turns out nice and they don't coward out in showing us the hard yuri shit.

Assault Lily: Bouquet: Incredibly horny lesbians fighting monsters with giant over the top weapons. It feels like a gacha game adaptation despite not being one, with it introducing way too many characters without developing them in the slightest, and throwing around a bunch of Proper Nouns and fantasy exposition. There are hints that it might have an interesting story, but who knows how it'll pan out. Very trashy, only watch if the trash already surrounds you.

Maoujou de Oyasumi: A premise that works way better as an easily consumable manga than a full-length anime. I'm satisfied getting a couple chuckles after reading 15 pages of a comedy manga. Not so much after watching a 23 minute episode. Feels way better paced as a manga than as an anime.

Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear: Kuma^3 Bear is the standard overpowered MC isekai except the gimmick this time is that its a cute girl in a bear costume with bear themed powers. Pretty simple concept. Now what if you brutalize the story structure and drop you in media-res without any explanation whatsoever, into a fight you have no context for and no stakes in? You're left with a fucking awful adaptation of an already mediocre and generic source material. No hope for the rest of the series, don't bother.

Love Live! Nijigasaki Gakuen School Idol Doukoukai: Something about this anime really bothers me. For an idol anime, it looks nice and the dance sequences are well animated. Characters are w/e, but who really watches love live for the engaging characters? I think my biggest gripe is that it feels like I'm just watching a string of music videos. It's kind of a weird complaint, but like I feel really distant from the characters when they're performing. I don't get to see how they feel about the performances. They feel super detached from the rest of the anime, and makes them much less enjoyable.

Senyoku no Sigrdrifa: Cute girls fly old planes and dogfight aliens. With no haremshit in sight, that's already a watch for me. The fight scenes look cool, the characters are fun, and there's interesting hints of what's to come. The 1st episode is probably way too long for its own good, being double length, but its still an enjoyable ride.

Ochikobore Fruit Tart: A bunch of failed ppl in the entertainment industry form an idol group. I don't know why I watched this but I did. It's fine, sometimes funny, but it could be better if they go all in on being a cynical, satirical shitpost. Right now it feels a bit too genuine to be a satire, but not actually quality enough to be truly enjoyable.

Maesetsu!: An anime about stand-up comedy, apparently featuring actual comedians eventually. I can feel the subbers wanting to blow their brains out as I watch. There is just a menacing untranslatable japanese pun aura radiating from this anime. Aside from that, it's mildly entertaining, and that's good enough for a comedy anime. Beyond that it's an interesting look into the behind the scenes of stand-up. All that's well and good, but then you realize the main characters are in their early 20s working a dead-end job, watching their friends succeed in college without them while fruitlessly chasing their high school dreams without landing any real gigs. Then the existential dread kicks in. If it can keep that feeling going, it might end up pretty good.

This is the absolute depths of seasonals for now. Who knows how many of these I'll actually stick with.

Oct 15, 2020 11:56 PM

#12

ducklife

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Feb 2019

omgeveryone9 said:

Jujutsu Kaisen seems like your usual Shonen Jump material, which isn't quite my cup of tea. Then again it took a while before I got into Demon Slayer so I'm watching a few more eps to see if it's worth continuing. If any of y'all have read the manga, how is the series after all the main characters are introduced?
.

Been a bit since I've read the manga, but the character dynamic between the main 3 characters is one of my favorites out of alot of the shonens I've consumed. The characters are just really fun and stylish, and super enjoyable to watch. The 1st major arc of the story also goes real hard and dark, and was a solid tone-setter. I'd recommend you stick with it until the anime gets to that 1st arc, then see how you feel about it then.

Oct 16, 2020 2:25 AM

#13

omgeveryone9

Offline

Oct 2016

de_gen_er_8 said:

That's two people now who have expressed their surprise in how impressive it seems to be-- do you think it's worth checking out or should I wait and see? It sounds like an interesting show, tbh.

I think it's a fun enough romp that it's worth checking out. The show probably won't flame out like Babylon a few seasons back, but I'm personally not expecting this to have Blade Runner levels of story depth (not that it needs that to be enjoyable).

See All Discussions

» What Have You Been Watching In the Past Week? ducklife - Dec 7, 2020	7	by ducklife »» Apr 20, 2021 11:54 PM
Sticky: » Spring 2021 General removed-user - Apr 4, 2021	3	by ducklife »» Apr 16, 2021 12:28 AM
» Winter 2021 General removed-user - Jan 8, 2021	15	by removed-user »» Apr 4, 2021 12:28 PM
» Hot Takes removed-user - Jan 12, 2021	7	by mafoo5 »» Feb 10, 2021 4:17 AM
» Fall 2020 Season Conclusion removed-user - Dec 25, 2020	5	by mafoo5 »» Jan 5, 2021 3:37 PM

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