A post is never late, nor is it early. My first impressions post for the autumn 2020 season of anime arrives precisely when I mean for it to. Er… also, I’ve been watching a lot of Hololive English streams lately, but that’s probably not connected in anyway.
Anyways, as usual, here are my initial thoughts about each show I have chosen to watch for this season.
Adachi and Shimamura
A fantastic start for one of my most anticipated shows of the season. It immediately captures the feel of the light novel, and it seems many are invested in Adachi and Shimamura’s relationship just from the episode alone. Expecting good things of this one.
Assault Lily BOUQUET
Another show with a strong start, including an opening theme from BanG Dream!‘s RAISE A SUILEN. There’s just so much here that immediately drew me in, and it hasn’t disappointed me so far.
Dropout Idol Fruit Tart
First of all, I just want to say how much Ino looks like Nadeshiko from Laid-Back Camp. As for the show itself, it was fun. Doesn’t particularly feel like something that will stand out against a certain other idol show airing this season, but Dropout Idol Fruit Tart is entertaining enough.
Is the Order a Rabbit? – BLOOM
The Rabbit House and Ama Usa An girls are back for a third season, and it is a very welcome return for them. Cocoa and the others are just as wonderful as ever.
Iwakakeru -Sport Climbing Girls-
An anime about competitive climbing, and it has proven to be enjoyable from its very first episode. I particular like the way that Konomi is able to use her skills as a puzzle gamer to figure out how to climb.
Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear
This show made a pretty odd choice when it came to its first episode, and as a result I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as I expected I would. However, its second episode quickly got things back on track, but that initial first impression I had of it was not a good one. Episode 2 is a much better introduction to this show than its first episode could ever hope to be.
Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club
The first episode of Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club absolutely nailed it. With Ayumu and Yu flirting from the get-go and Setsuna Yuki’s “CHASE” song, there is so much to love from this iteration of the Love Live! franchise. Of course we also get brief glimpses of future members of the idol club too. Setsuna’s song alone elevates this to my favourite premiere of the season.
Maesetsu! Opening Act
This show is cute, but I have to admit that I didn’t find much to laugh at here. Probably didn’t help that a large part of the first episode was dedicated to a gag that didn’t land; I’d rather get invested in the girls doing their performances well. I’ll stick with it, but I suspect the humour will have a greater appeal to Japanese audiences.
Strike Witches: Road to Berlin
The 501st Joint Fighter Wing return, and it is such a joy to have them back. So good to see Yoshika and company back in action again, and their enemies are proving to be even more intelligent before. The Strike Witches have a rough road ahead of them, but I look forward to watching them overcome the challenge as they press on towards Berlin.
Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina
This definitely sits alongside Adachi and Shimamura as another great start to a light novel adaptation. It didn’t jump in with chapter one, but instead the chapter where Elaina officially became a witch. An excellent decision, in my opinion. She’s got many adventures ahead of her, and it all started off most excellently.
There are other shows I mentioned wanting to watch this season, but I just haven’t got around to it yet. Also, D4DJ First Mix hasn’t started airing at the time of writing. Maybe I’ll find some time between Hololive English live streams…
Focusing on the shows mentioned above, though, I’ll reiterate that Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club absolutely blew me away with its first episode. Adachi and Shimamura and Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina also made incredibly strong impressions, so I guess that covers my top three premieres.
This season overall is a strong one, and I am very much looking forward to seeing what more we can experience from it.
Rory Muses 