Dumbbell Nan Kilo Moteru ep 1. The first clean hit of my season.
The main character has a fun and down-to-earth internal voice, and her reactions are conveyed through creative and amusing expressions. The visual comedy relies on dramatic tonal shifts and funny faces, and it works pretty well. My favorite gag had to be
the trainer, with his generic ikemen face and impossible musculature. It even frames its fanservice well, integrating it naturally into the fitness routines and education bits. Good OP, too.
Hibiki’s initial motivation feels kinda weak, but her half-hearted dedication to physical fitness is totally true-to-life and it does give an opportunity for development, so I can give that a pass. Otherwise, it’s a solid start.
Kanata no Astra ep 1. Double-length premiere. Honestly, just the length of the ep made me hesitate to watch this, but decided to power through it. It’s got an interesting and decently presented premise, but it’s also loaded with a lot of anime stereotypes and it missed every joke. Some jokes missed so bad I wouldn’t have known they were jokes if they didn’t have the sound effect, which they have for
every fucking punchline.
BUT it did get better as it went on. I liked the show lamp-shading how convenient everything is. Maybe it’ll be fine once the story gets going.
Star Twinkle Precure ep 21. The show caps off Blue Cat’s arc with spectacular action, a new toy, and a new ED.
Anime action scenes that are one continuous set-piece continue to impress me. The imposing layouts and the satisfying hits make for a mid-season confrontation that felt epic. I also liked Eye One stealing Blue Cat’s spaceship after they showed her mercy. Overall, an excellent arc.
Non Non Biyori ep 15-16. This season’s comedy has been a lot more consistent, while still quietly hitting its emotional highs.