Cold As Ice: The Winter 2022 Anime Season (Part 2) - Renegade Animation #51
Previously on Renegade Animation, Captain Kaye, the Animation Guru, and Teresa took a look at half of the new anime shows from the Winter 2022 season. And now... the finale of the season!
How’s it going, fellow Renegades? THE DIRECTOR is back to bring you guys the latest in the Animation Amigos’ Adventures of Anime! And likewise, this week’s installment is the thrilling conclusion to the Winter 2022 Anime season, an exciting finale that goes into the sports anime shows, which I’m always shocked is a genuine sub-genre in every year and just HOW MUCH there is.
Regardless, it’s a satisfying conclusion to a pretty eclectic season of the funny drawings. But don’t take MY word for it, as I’ll leave it to the Captain himself. TAKE THE WHEEL, CAP’N!
Sports
Tribe Nine (Funimation)
“On the one hand, this show has the right idea. Conceptually, “extreme baseball” as it’s depicted here makes total sense in anime. I think the only problem I have is that the animation itself could use a bit more polish. I’m not convinced that Liden Films was the right home for a show with these otherwise great character designs and this neon-lit world. On a positive note, the English voice cast is amazing, including Casey Mongillo as Haru, and Corpse Husband as the main antagonist Ojiro. The ending of the third episode has me curious enough to keep going, which means I can give this a solid recommendation.” - Captain Kaye (DUB)
Futsal Boys (Funimation)
“Aside from the occasional visual flair and an admittedly awesome OP, this anime unfortunately brings nothing new to the table. The biggest problem is the characters, or rather, the collection of archetypes with quirks that take the place of personalities. Sakaki in particular might just be one of my most hated characters of the season due to his intense stubbornness. I don’t care if overcoming his lone wolf attitude is his character arc, he’s still insufferable. While not quite as bad as some of Spring 2021’s offerings, I still can’t fully recommend this one, even going beyond the 3 episode minimum.” - Captain Kaye
Salaryman’s Club (Crunchyroll/VRV)
“What makes a good sports anime isn’t necessarily the sport itself, but getting to know the characters both on and off the court. Salaryman’s Club is unique in that badminton may be the focus of the anime, but in-universe, it’s merely a company sport for our main protagonists. Mikoto’s arc is essentially learning to be a team player, but unlike Sakaki from Futsal Boys, he’s not a completely terrible person. By the third episode, it becomes incredibly easy to root for him, and by extension, the entire team. You don’t have to care at all about badminton to enjoy this one, as long as you’re into characters with a great sense of comradery.” - Captain Kaye
Action/adventure
Rusted Armors (Crunchyroll/VRV)
“Listen, Ex-Arm will forever be the brown standard for anime, but that doesn’t mean other shows can’t still be bad in their own right. Rusted Armors may be slightly more competent, but its poor blending of the stylized 2D backgrounds and plastic CG characters does the material zero favors. The story itself is fine, but the dialogue is atrocious. There’s nothing to recommend here even as a “so bad it’s good” anime. You’re better off watching literally anything else.” - Captain Kaye
Orient (Crunchyroll/VRV)
“I like this one on the whole, but if there’s one thing holding it back, it might be a tone problem. Not that I need this to be a comedy, but there are times in which the show takes itself a little too seriously. That being said, I am into the story and the bond between our two main characters. It may be clunky in its execution, but it certainly has potential for greatness, and I’d like to see this through to the end.” - Captain Kaye
Doll’s Frontline (Funimation)
“I don’t think it’s fair to compare this anime to 86, because hardly anything can come close to that masterpiece. Instead, I can only really judge Girls’ Frontline on its own merits, and as such, I enjoyed it. It’s a pretty simple premise, a war is being fought between two factions of androids known as T-Dolls. The heroes are under the command of Griffin, while the enemies are the Sangvis. If the plot feels mechanical, that’s because this is an adaptation of a mobile strategy RPG, yet I was never bored watching these first three episodes. If what I described sounds like it’s something you’re interested in, then consider this a solid recommendation.” - Captain Kaye
Requiem of the Rose King (Funimation)
“We need to talk about the concept of “dub bias,” partially because I think it does affect how I felt about this anime in particular. On the one hand, the main problem that holds this back is the pacing, and if you’re absolutely averse to Shakepearean dialogue then you will have a good time watching this. However, if you are a Shakespeare fan, you might still take issue with the lack of a clear protagonist, but at least you won’t be bored by the narrative. Overall, I’d say your mileage may vary with Requiem of the Rose King.” - Captain Kaye
Tokyo 24th Ward (Crunchyroll/VRV/Funimation)
“What we have here is something truly original from Cloverworks! Imagine a superhero series inspired by Minority Report, led by a trio of childhood friends known as RGB. Because it is a Cloverworks series, there is a valid fear that the show won’t be able to stick the landing. However, as of now, I’m fascinated by the worldbuilding and the relationship between these characters and their hometown. There’s a great sense of community within the titular 24th Ward, and the show’s hour-long premiere gives the audience plenty of time to establish those relationships. It is a bit of a slow burn, in that we don’t really get a sense of the bigger picture until the end of the third episode, but by that point, you should already have an idea whether or not you’re invested in the narrative. Personally, I’m all in, and I look forward to seeing this one through.” - Captain Kaye
Love of Kill (Crunchyroll/VRV)
“I think I love this series? It’s hard to gauge exactly how I’m supposed to feel, but that’s exactly the point of a good mystery, and this is a DAMN good mystery thriller. Ryang-ha Song is an assassin, and a real son of a bitch, and in the hands of a lesser writer, I doubt the premise of this series would be as effective. But there is something brewing between him and Chateau Dankworth, our main protagonist. We don’t really get a lot of answers in the first three episodes, but there is plenty of intriguing set up that has me curious enough to want to continue.” - Captain Kaye
Sabikui Bisco (Crunchyroll/VRV)
“This series is awesome! Set in a post-apocalyptic Japan, the world has been ravaged by rust, affecting everything it touches, including humans. One thing that’s pretty cool about this anime is the fact that they really play around with the concept of misinformation, which is where the conflict between the Mushroom Keepers and the government of Imihama Prefecture stems from. But on a surface level, this anime just has everything I love, from great characters, to incredible worldbuilding, and an awesome soundtrack! I hope this show finds its audience, and I will certainly make sure I see this through to the end!” - Captain Kaye
That’ll do it for this episode! Special thanks to Cameron for editing this episode! Keep your head held high and look to the horizon as the outro music plays, as a new podcast’ll be coming your way very soon!
