Spring Cleaning: the Spring 2023 Anime Impressions Part 2 - Renegade Animation #108
In this episode, Captain Kaye, The Animation Guru, and Teresa conclude their stroll through the Spring anime meadows. Part 2 includes titles categorized under fantasy/isekai, and romance/comedy.
What’s going on, everyone? This is your Captain speaking, and I have good news and bad news. The good news is that we have some more great anime to discuss on this podcast. The bad news is that we each had only a few positive things to say about the fantasy/isekai titles this season. At least nothing is as bad as my personal brown standard for anime, but one or two of them get close. Tune into the podcast if you want to hear the full discussion, and keep reading for our collective top 5 recommendations for the entire season!
Oshi No Ko
The less you know about this series going into it, the more you may enjoy it. I can personally attest to that, as I did not read the manga, and the only thing I knew beforehand was that the first episode was essentially feature length. The last I’d want is to spoil the surprise for anyone, so it’s best if you simply experience this for yourself!
Loving Yamada at Lvl999!
As Cameron pointed out, it shouldn’t feel this refreshing to see a romcom anime in which the two leads are young adults as opposed to teenagers, and yet here we are. This show has a pretty firm grasp on the world of online video games, professional game streamers, and various parasocial relationships. It excels in both establishing an organic slow burn romance, and some ridiculously hysterical visual gags throughout these first three episodes. This is one you’re not going to want to miss.
A Galaxy Next Door
This anime is genuinely romantic, and I mean that in more ways than one. Not only is this just a sweet romance between our two leads, but it’s also romantic about manga, the connection we have with storytelling, and the very concept of romance itself. That it also happens to have a light sci-fi element concerning Goshiki’s origin doesn’t even phase me, but it does allow for some great comedic and sweet moments throughout these first 3 episodes.
Heavenly Delusion
This is one of the two major carryovers from Part 1, which you can listen to right here. Eventually we will cover this anime on its own separate podcast, because even if the rest of the first season falls apart, there’s still enough rich material to mine out of those first three episodes. Seriously, give this one a watch, because it will send a clear message to Disney+/Hulu that we want them to acquire more anime of this caliber!
Insomniacs After School
This is the other carryover from Part 1, and the more I think about it, the more I love it! Once again, anyone with even a passing interest in astronomy will love this show’s visual presentation, almost as much as they’ll love seeing our two romantic leads seeking kinship over their nocturnal tendencies.
That concludes another season of anime impressions! Thank you all for joining us! Please visit https://entertainmentcommunityfund.org/ and donate under the designation of Film and Television if you wish to support those that are effected by the 2023 WGA Writers’ Strike!
