Wooper: Now that we’re more than a month removed from our first impressions period, the shine is starting to come off some of this season’s offerings. Don’t get me wrong – I still think there are lots of worthwhile shows airing right now, but the longer an anime goes on, the more opportunities it has to disappoint you. Two of my most anticipated series coming into April were Kowloon Generic Romance and Gundam GQX, and as of right now, I wouldn’t put either of them near the top of the spring anime pyramid. That being said, let’s jump into this post with a few grievances, shall we?
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX – 6-7
It’s become apparent that series composer Youji Enokido is less interested in GQX’s “main characters” than he is in adding to its jumble of parts from past Gundam series. These episodes borrowed from Zeta Gundam (the 1985 follow-up to the original TV anime), dropping characters like Bask Om and concepts like Cyber Newtypes into an assassination plot that blew up in spectacular fashion. Meanwhile, the trio of youngsters who were once introduced as the show’s protagonists took a backseat, ultimately getting separated after their dull-ass love triangle crumpled like wet newspaper. Flashbacks to an argument between Machu and Nyaan (underpinned by their rivaling affections for Shuuji) played throughout episode 6, which was named “The Plot to Assassinate Kycilia.” Given that title, most of the episode was spent laying the groundwork for the attempted murder of a character who was created nearly 50 years ago, so I’m not sure how to express just how inconsequential Machu and Nyaan’s quarrel felt in the midst of all that. Then, while the assassination plot was unfolding this week, Machu was busy trying to steal enough money to travel to Earth with her boy toy, who ended up getting sucked into another dimension anyway. I’m being more than a little reductive here, but it does feel as though GQX is keeping its fresh-faced trio around solely because Gundam isn’t Gundam without teenage pilots. At least Nyaan joined the Zeon cast (who are essentially the new main characters) at the end of this week’s episode, I guess?
Koisuru One Piece – 1-5
Technically, this made-for-mobile One Piece spinoff debuted at the very beginning of the spring season, but I only got to it a few days ago, so I’m cheating and including it here. Actually, is “spinoff” even the correct term? None of the characters from Koisuru’s namesake series appear in its five episodes – rather, the cast are a bunch of teenagers who share names (and little else) with Luffy, Nami, Usopp, etc. The breakout character is definitely this show’s version of Usopp, a hulking, box-headed One Piece otaku who arranges the activities of his high school “Pirate Club” to mirror the events of the manga. That includes a lot more than simple reference humor through dialogue, as he steals both a deer and an anatomical model to stand in for Chopper and Brook, and uses high grade weaponry to simulate his timid clubmate Luffy’s supposed strength. In episode 3, there’s even a reenactment of an obscure short story that was bundled with the series’ third theatrical film, where the Straw Hat Pirates face off against various villains in a penalty kick shoot-out. The only flop was the final episode, where one of Usopp’s inventions allows Nami and a couple of new characters to enter the One Piece manga. Maybe I’m just not a big enough fan of the series, but I didn’t understand who those new characters were supposed to resemble, and the non-animated manga panels didn’t deliver on the concept’s promise. Apart from that misstep, though, Koisuru One Piece is a must-watch for fans of its parent property, and a great short anime in general.
Shin Samurai-den Yaiba – 6-7
When getting invested in a new battle shounen anime, there’s always a risk that the things you liked about it at first will recede into the background, to be replaced by the subgenre’s usual hang-ups. I felt that starting to happen in these two episodes of Yaiba, particularly number 7, where the title character and his talking sea cucumber pal fell through a portal and into Keicho era (early 17th century) Japan. After meeting the Keicho version of Miyamoto Musashi, their modern day traveling companion, much of the dialogue took on an explanatory tone, with Mr. Sea Cucumber speculating about how they landed 400 years in the past, how Musashi’s rival was resurrected in the present day, whether they’d be able to return to their own time period, etc. It was excessive even for a time travel story, and given the characters’ goal of hewing closely to history’s version of events, I doubt the show will contain any surprises in episode 8 to make up for how tiresome it got this week. Last week, on the other hand, was wall-to-wall action, as Onimaru’s most powerful ogre pursued Yaiba and company across Nagoya, resulting in a bit of a trim for the city’s most famous castle. The animation was impressive as usual, but the sheer bulk of it left little time for anything else – an attempt was made to squeeze some comedy into the ogre’s character (a vampire with a gaijin accent), but it missed the mark, at least for me.
Lazarus – 6-7
It’s never a good sign when an anime gives you Japan Sinks flashbacks, but that’s exactly what I experienced while watching Lazarus’s sixth episode, which was undoubtedly its worst thus far. It took place at a commune, much like the aforementioned Science Saru series’ sixth installment, only instead of mystical underpinnings, it had technological ones – specifically dealing with (you guessed it) artificial intelligence. I can understand why creatives are eager to tell stories about AI, since they view it as a threat to their industry (as well they should), but this episode treated the subject so superficially that I couldn’t help but laugh. An AI network said to be a perfect copy of an individual’s brain? Come on, now. Hacker girl Eleina’s first foray into field work was a bust, too – she even encountered her birth mother and the show did absolutely nothing with it. Fortunately, episode 7 was a lot better, dropping several breadcrumbs regarding future plot developments, especially the Lazarus chief’s prior relationship with Skinner, and an acquaintance of Chris’s revealing her real name as part of a minor cliffhanger. It also boasted lots of stellar aquatic scenery, as all four field agents journeyed to different locations where rising sea levels had flooded former population centers. The animation bounced back from its low point in the previous week, too, as Axel and company dove, swam, climbed, and otherwise navigated their beautiful surroundings. I wouldn’t call it a great episode, but it definitely felt like the show came back to life – fitting, given its title.
Kowloon Generic Romance – 6-7
These two episodes provided no new evidence to support my prediction that Kudo and Gwen are somehow related, so I guess that theory was a bust. We see the two of them cheerfully reunite near the start of episode 7, but when Gwen declares his intent to rescue his friend from this illusory version of Kowloon, things become less sunny – Kudo isn’t willing to leave, implying that he finds value in the present version of the city, even though it’s clear by now that its residents are living amidst the ruins of a demolished territory. He also asks Reiko never to leave Kowloon, despite her painful resemblance to his former fiance, so he’s really trying to maintain the status quo. His nebulous motives stand in contrast to those of Gwen and Miyuki, the two characters who received the most focus in these episodes, and whose histories and intentions became crystal clear as a result. Watching their love story unfold, both in flirtatious flashbacks as well as the turbulent present, was one of the major treats of these two outings, but there’s a problem – apart from the romantic aspect, too much of their time on screen is intended solely to fill in gaps in the audience’s knowledge. Spelling out Miyuki’s plan to torture his father through the Generic Terra project, telling Reiko she’s neither a Zirconian nor a clone, speculating about the nature of the simulated Kowloon… The show’s signature atmosphere falls by the wayside during these scenes, so they feel divorced from its better moments (despite providing valuable information). I’m still intrigued by KGR’s larger mystery, but I hope that the next pair of episodes will send me on a scavenger hunt instead of providing me with a study guide.
Apocalypse Hotel – 6-7
Of all the series I’m keeping up with right now (including some that I’m not writing about), Apocalypse Hotel is the most unpredictable. Perhaps that stands to reason, since post-apocalyptic settings break a lot of storytelling norms, but I appreciate its oddness all the same. What other show this spring features a cat-kangaroo hybrid wearing boxing gloves and ‘storm and slaughter’ battle armor? What other anime would conclude a midseason episode with their protagonist quietly floating in space, seemingly lost to the whims of Earth’s orbit? And of those that would opt for such a bold move, how many would be silly enough to include a verbal bait-and-switch (a la Looney Toons) in the same script? Right now, the show that Apocalypse Hotel most reminds me of is Humanity Has Declined, though Hotel has a little more heart. In episode 6, when the aforementioned cat-kangaroo comes to Earth with the intention of destroying its dominant civilization, he gradually accepts that the planet’s remaining inhabitants are worth sparing, and leaves a parting gift by completing demolition on the Gingarou’s planned onsen site. Meanwhile, in the most recent installment, a plot about launching a deadly weapons system is underpinned by the characters’ desire to protect their hotel so they can spend the rest of their lives together, and it somehow makes sense emotionally. With Yachiyo currently stranded in orbit due to a disruption during the weapon system’s deployment, this show’s eighth episode is the one I’m most eager to watch next week.
The post Spring 2025 Check-In – Weeks 6-7 appeared first on Star Crossed Anime.
