Introduction to Mineralogy
Short Synopsis: A bratty teenage girl goes gem hunting with a grad student.
Wooper: It would seem that the preferred localization of Ruri no Houseki is “Ruri Rocks,” but despite being closer to the Japanese title, as a phrase it’s a bit too punny for me. So, I’m going with “Introduction to Mineralogy” – and the show is going straight on my watchlist, as this premiere was better than I dared to hope. Coming from Studio Bind’s A team, I knew it would be well-animated, but what I didn’t expect was that the characters would have the personalities to match. Ruri is pushy, and even whiny when at home with her mom, but around her mineralogical senpai she dials it back out of respect. As for Nagi (the senpai in question), she’s reluctant to help the younger girl at first, but she clearly enjoys having someone to teach, and will even take a firm hand with her when necessary. They’ve got a great dynamic after just 20 minutes, giving me confidence that the secondary characters we glimpsed in the OP and ED will also receive smooth introductions. Speaking of the OP, one presentational aspect I liked about this episode was the choice to delay its opening credits until the midway point. It wasn’t until Ruri and Nagi had finished their first mission that we were given glimpses of their future expeditions, as though the first part of this premiere were a prologue meant to segue us into the rest of their adventures. I can’t exactly call this show a diamond in the rough (its production values are too high for that), but it’s certainly a gem.
Potential: 75%
Bad Girl
Short Synopsis: Notice me senpai, CGDCT edition.
Mario: After an entire episode, I still don’t really get the main premise of this show. We have the lead girl who wants to be a delinquent to get herself noticed by her senpai crush, but that is hardly the show’s main focus. The whole plot, so far, is just an excuse for four Bad Girls to act cute together with many, as expected, exaggerated reactions. Even the character designs, while charming, are the same faces you would see in other cute girls anime. This one is strictly for CGDCT fans. If you prefer simple characters’ chemistry (this episode has plenty) and are amused by the yuri bait, then this one could sit comfortably on your watchlist. Others won’t find much to enjoy here.
Potential: 10%
Hotel Inhumans
Short Synopsis: Two concierges at a hotel for hitmen assist a guest in reuniting with his estranged sister.
Wooper: This marks the third season in a row where an anime with “Hotel” in its title has aired, following winter’s “Tasokare” and spring’s “Apocalypse.” I don’t know about the former (which I plan to sample before year’s end), but “Inhumans” certainly doesn’t stack up to the latter. It’s an action-adjacent show with underwhelming action scenes – not just on a technical level, but from a believability standpoint. I can think of three moments from this episode where the villains of a week had an opportunity to shoot their targets at point blank range, and opted to spend that time talking instead. Hotel Inhumans isn’t the first series to have that issue, but since its structure seems to indicate that its concierges will serve a new guest every week, I can see that problem cropping up on a regular basis. As for its first guest, the premiere began by focusing on him in isolation, only revealing the hotel as its central location after a while. Despite the show’s middling looks, I was initially interested in the story of how he became an assassin, but eventually his fight for survival and the search for his sister (held hostage by the crime family he was forced to serve) were settled by the actual protagonists: the concierges. Perhaps their problem solving will feel less magical in future episodes, but this one didn’t give me a clear reason for optimism.
Potential: 10%
The post Summer 2025 Impressions: Introduction to Mineralogy, Bad Girl, Hotel Inhumans appeared first on Star Crossed Anime.
