Digimon Beatbreak
Short Synopsis: A drummer with mysterious AI-scrambling powers is introduced to Digimon the hard way when one of them kills his brother.
Wooper: This is my first time sitting down to watch a Digimon show, and truthfully I only gave it a spin to create a multiple of three for this post, but I came away impressed. The franchise has some odd quirks, like its creature naming scheme (the giant wasp is named Waspmon) and the concept of human involvement in Digimon combat (hopefully that’s not a constant across multiple series, because it seems very stupid). But as far as establishing episodes go, this one performed well. Its most impressive aspect had to be the death of the main character’s older brother – together with the dramatic music and Tomoro’s conflicted feelings toward the man, the character animation as his brother’s hand slipped from his grasp thoroughly sold the moment. As a matter of fact, the episode looked great most of the time, with the only exception being the cyber grid landscape used for the opening fight scene. Information about critical in-universe technology, like e-Pulse and Sapotamas (egg-shaped all-in-one AI assistants), was delivered both upfront and throughout the episode, which formed an effective (if not elegant) combination, and the show’s mascot, the rubber-tongued Gekkomon, was instantly memorable. I liked what I saw here – enough to give Beatbreak at least two more episodes for sure, though I doubt I’ll be along for the entire (rumored) four cour ride.
Potential: 55%
Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider
Short Synopsis: A 40 year old man lives his dream of being Kamen Rider by dressing up as a Tokusatsu hero and beating up thugs while an equally Rider-obsessed gangster opposes him.
Lenlo: For something as culturally massive as Kamen Rider, I’ve never actually watched anything about the series. I’ve seen Power Rangers, and other western Tokusatsu shows, but this is the first one actually directly related to Kamen Rider. And you know what? Maybe I should go watch some, because this was legitimately fun. Very exaggerated and stupid, a grown adult making transformation noises and judo flipping a brown bear is crazy, but oh so fun. This show clearly loves Kamen Rider, and it makes me want to love it as well. Helps that it also doesn’t look half bad, as my guy had a transcendental experience putting on a plastic mask before beating up some thugs with some of the best fight choreo I’ve seen so far this season. Easily the most fun I’ve had with a premiere so far, I really really hope Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider keeps it up.
Potential: 90%
Wooper: The damage that JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure has done to action anime’s sound design is irreversible, I fear. We’re not getting bass hits and bullet sound effects just for punches and kicks anymore – now we even need six of them when a shot zooms out to dramatically reveal half a dozen cardboard boxes. If you want context for that description, you’ll have to watch this premiere yourself, and you may be glad you did, as Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider’s obnoxious audio is its only real weakness. The show may have a ridiculous premise and an over-the-top energy, but it smartly walks the line between wearing its heart on its sleeve and keeping its tongue in its cheek. While the Kamen Rider love is real here, both the central character and the wave of burglars cosplaying as the franchise’s iconic henchmen recognize the outlandishness of their actions, providing a workable base from which the story can escalate. Its fight scenes and reaction shots rely heavily on effects for their impact, rather than elite animation, but the show makes it work with exaggerated expressions and fun humor. And speaking of humor, the takoyaki-themed ED is one of my favorites of the year so far – I couldn’t find it online just yet, but it’ll be worth looking up when it eventually hits the net.
Potential: 60%
SI-VIS: The Sound of Heroes
Short Synopsis: A country boy travels to Tokyo in the hopes of joining his cousin’s idol unit, but ends up witnessing his death instead.
Wooper: Bit of a spoiler in the synopsis there (if you want to watch this one blind, don’t look up), but I figure most folks will need a hook to check out what looks like an idol game adaptation. That’s the thing about Sound of Heroes – it’s actually an original series, but you’d never guess that from its premise, character designs, or general vibe. (My guess is that there’s a group of producers out there hoping the anime will be a hit so they can create a media mix franchise in reverse.) Despite being the first of its name, The Sound of Heroes has clear inspirations in battle idol shows, most notably Symphogear, so unless you’re into that micro-genre, it probably won’t appeal to you. It’s a competently made product, though, and some people may get a kick out of how seriously it (and a couple of its edgy characters in particular) takes its song and dance battles. During the scene where SI-VIS face off against their alien foes, the screen is awash with ice waves, sparkles, bubbles, and laser beams, which will either give you a headache or make you laugh out loud. If it’s the latter, this show may be for you, but personally, one episode is enough for me.
Potential: 20%
The post Fall 2025 Impressions: Digimon Beatbreak, Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider, SI-VIS: The Sound of Heroes appeared first on Star Crossed Anime.
