Wooper: Happy November, all! Though behind the scenes we’re catching up on anime from all throughout 2025 (AOTY season isn’t far off), Lenlo and I still made time to type a few words about currently airing series. Actually, “currently airing” may be a stretch (or an outright lie) for some of my selections, but they’re accurate in his case. I’m hoping to keep these posts on a biweekly schedule from here until year’s end, so enjoy this first of four-ish posts, and we’ll see you in another 14 days or so.
Sanda – 2-6
Lenlo: Up until last weeks episode, Sanda was in a really weird place for me. Very much a Paru Itagaki creation, the author of Beastars, it had this weird obsession with underage sex. From child marriages to Fuyumura seemingly having the hots for/finding comfort in a 60+ year old man, I wasn’t sure what to think. But episode 5 really brought it together for me. Sanda is less about kids getting it on and more about the odd obsession people seem to have in controlling who children are, how they grow up, and what they should or should not feel, including Paru herself with her personal focus on children going through puberty and their sex drives. It’s… interesting. Weird, you can definitely see the resemblance to Paru’s other work, but not nearly as off putting to me. I like how each of the kids are interacting growing up in different ways. Fuyumura isn’t concerned about it at all because to her, growing out of her lanky and awkward body would be a blessing, to Ono it’s terrifying because no one else is changing around her, to Sanda it’s about taking on responsibilities and leaving behind that carefree life of a child, while to Principal Ooshibu it’s the most terrifying thing imaginable. Sure, Santa Claus is an odd metaphor to channel it all through, but like… I’m kinda into it. Combine all of this with a solid production and some of the most striking character designs of the season, and I think Sanda could end up as something great. I just need it to not get to weird with it like Beastars did.
Fujimoto Tatsuki 17-26 – 1
Wooper: “A Couple Clucking Chickens Were Still Kickin’ in the Schoolyard” is the first of eight stories adapted in this selection of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s pre-Chainsaw Man (and mostly pre-Fire Punch) oneshots. I haven’t read any of them in manga form, but if their anime versions are on par with this opening installment, we may have an all-time anthology series on our hands here. Set in a future where aliens have supplanted humans as Earth’s dominant species, yet wholly adopted human culture for themselves, Clucking Chickens makes the most of its opportunity to showcase a wide range of monster designs. Gigantic naked police officers, muscular sailor-suited schoolgirls, friendly green cyclopean classmates – the imagination on display here is surprising, but what makes this episode legitimately impressive is how these aliens are brought to life through animation and voice work. In the span of less than 20 minutes, we see them exhibiting near-human behavior while living as ordinary students, transforming into living nightmares while slaughtering humans, and eventually battling each other over the fate of a single human girl. There’s action, absurd humor, deft use of flashbacks, and the use of color phases between harmonious and violent according to the needs of each scene. I really can’t say enough good things about it, so while I don’t expect all of the remaining episodes to be on the same level, I’m quite excited to see what else this series has in store.
Star Wars Visions S3 – 1
Wooper: Just like the original, this volume of Star Wars Visions kicks off with “The Duel,” now with an appended “Payback” to signify its sequel status. I wasn’t particularly enamored with the original Duel short, which was thin on both story and characters, and although this one had 60 percent more runtime to work with, those issues remained consistent. The Grand Master (a cyborg antagonist capable of teleportation) was of some interest to me, particularly because of his Jedi-gone-bad backstory and the visualization of his ability, briefly leaving behind lineart whenever he jumped through space. His grudge against the Ronin was hardly explored, however, and I struggled not to roll my eyes at yet another Star Wars baddie using robotic arms to wield multiple lightsabers (Anee-san, the episode’s Twi’lek foe-turned-ally). As with the first Duel short, there was a major emphasis on terrain during combat, especially during the Ronin’s fights against the other two duelists while perched atop overturned AT-AT legs. For those viewers who place a premium on modern SW choreography, Payback may be your jam, especially if you dig its monochromatic color scheme. Personally, though, I’m eager to move on to better installments of this series.
Tojima Wants to be Kamen Rider- 2-6
Lenlo: I’m so torn on Tojima. When it’s firing on all cylinders, loving Kamen Rider and just having a good time, I love it. Watching this cast beat up Shocker combatants to solid music with a clear passion for the series is an undeniably good time. It’s everything else that’s the problem though. Outside of the fights Tojima doesn’t know how to handle character interactions or any semblance of a plot. Not to mention the abysmal treatment of the female cast, making every moment on screen about their bouncing breasts and fat ass, going so far as to frame their face between their massive tits for a reaction shot instead of say, I don’t know, just showing us their face? Look at episode 3 for example, where even as Tack wins the fight she smashes into her opponents breasts because why not I guess. It’s such an incredibly disappointing way to portray your female cast while your male lead gets to just be a jacked otaku. I’ll continue watching it, because I’m locked in and have that much fun when it’s an action show centered on beating up Super Sentai villains and nerding the fuck out about Kamen Rider, but I think all of the big problems I have are baked into the show’s core, and that’s a shame.
Pokemon Concierge – 5
Wooper: One nice thing about a “too big to fail” franchise like Pokemon is that there’s always money lying around to fund smaller creative projects. The video games have been scraping the bottom of the barrel for ages now, and the TCG is plagued by scalpers, but it feels like we get a well-made miniseries almost every single year, and in 2025 that means another four episodes of Pokemon Concierge. All four appeared online in early September, so it’s not technically a fall series, but it’s bound to appear on my year-end list, so I figured this column was as good a place as any to throw it. As with the first batch of episodes, the stop motion animation is excellent, using a wide range of materials (felt, clay, resin, etc) to accurately depict an even wider range of creatures. One thing I noticed about this return episode was the camera’s focus on nearby Pokemon whenever human exposition was being delivered, keeping visual interest high even during the talky bits. Getting both airborne and terrestrial creatures involved in the “turn on the generator” plot was a good idea, and the slow motion domino effect of Pokemon-related mishaps midway through the story was also a highlight. With so much focus on Psyduck and friends, the character work for Haru is slight, but it’s good that the script makes the attempt, as Concierge might otherwise feel overly indulgent. Good stuff all around – I look forward to taking in the remaining three episodes at a Slugma’s pace.
Ganglion – 1-3
Wooper: This show is quite the odd duck – a series of three minute shorts about the life of Isobe, a middle manager for a tokusatsu-style evil organization. In these three episodes, we follow him in the aftermath of his group’s defeat: on the train, at an oden stand, and to his apartment, where he finally takes off his mask for his wife. Isobe is something of a scumbag – in addition to working for a company bent on world domination and constantly grumbling about his heroic nemesis Hopeman, the show hints that he may have groped a young woman on the train in its very first episode (the two groups subbing this series disagree on that point, adding to the ambiguity). Not an aspirational figure, then, but the series’ somewhat sour tone is part of the appeal, perhaps reflecting the author’s view of life (and particularly work culture) in Japan. Visually, the art and animation are indistinguishable from that of a full length TV series, making it a rarity among short anime, which are usually stylized to compensate for their lower production values. I particularly like the look of the characters, which is more aligned with the exaggerated style of an older gag manga than with modern trends. Three more episodes have already been subbed, so it looks like at least one group will continue with Ganglion through December’s end, and I’ll be along for the ride.
Hyakushou Kizoku S3 – 1-3
Wooper: This marks the third straight year of Hiromu Arakawa’s autobiographical manga being adapted for TV, and though its short episodes sometimes feel too short, I’m thankful for every minute we get. Not only does this show receive timely fansubs from a one-man group [Seigyoku], but the manga’s sporadic publishing schedule means the anime will run out of material eventually. A conversation between Arakawa (depicted as a bespectacled cow, like usual) and her editor at the start of this season’s premiere slyly alludes to that dilemma, framing the show’s topic selection as dependent on what’s “left in the vault.” These first three episodes discuss the respective challenges of caring for cows, dogs, and cats on a farm, and the dog animation remains one of the series’ highlights, with cartoonish charm emanating from the screen with every lifelike wag of their tails. As usual, the inclusion of more educational segments, this time regarding the baling and storage of hay, makes the show a little dry in some spots (though hopefully none where hay is being stored, as partial drying could result in a fire). Still, it’s nice to have this show back, dropping both knowledge and droppings-related humor for another full season.
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