Come one, come all! Welcome to the triumphant return of the official Galvanic Team Anime TKO!

The Summer 2019 Anime Season is upon us, and you know what that means. Time to decide the best of the best… of the anime we’re covering, anyway. This Summer’s showing a lot of promise, but we only have room and time for so much. So let’s do a quick breakdown of how all of this is going to work. Rila’s already told you guys quite a bit, but here’s a recap for anyone who hasn’t heard her talk about it.

Voyager: Anime TKO is a seasonal anime tournament, held by EvilBob and myself.

EvilBob: And this time… this time I will be the victor!

Voyager: It’s nice to have dreams. Anyway, the two of us each select four shows to compete in an all-out brawl for superiority.

EvilBob: Ordinarily, we’d start with an open elimination Qualifier round. But this time we’re jumping right into the heat of things with the Knockout Eliminations from Round 1.

Voyager: And now let’s bring out our contestants!

EvilBob: In Bracket 1, it’s all about the adventure as DanMachi aims to take on Vinland Saga.

Voyager: Then the battle for Isekai Dominance begins with Isekai Cheat Magician vs. Maou-sama Retry!

EvilBob: The war of the Isekai continues with Arifureta vs. Okaasan Online! (Yeah. I’ve got that one in the bag)

Voyager: You keep telling yourself that. And rounding things out is the Clash of the Shounen as Fire Force takes it to Dr. STONE. That one’s gonna be fire, for sure.

EvilBob: Don’t you mean it’s gonna… rock?

Voyager: …

EvilBob: …

Voyager: Bob…

EvilBob: I’m sorry.

But how are things going to be decided, this time? Just circular debates for hours on end, again?

EvilBob: Actually, no, Mr. Disembodied-Voice!

Voyager: Indeed. This time we’re actually going to expand on the point system from the Finals of this Winter’s Anime TKO. During the Knockout portion, each bracket will be competing every week until the next round. They compete by earning a point in three categories.

EvilBob: We’ll talk more about the Finals when those are a bit closer. For now, though, here are the categories for the points.

Voyager: First up is Characters. This is essentially a point for noting consistency in character actions, as well as how engaging the character is. Either by virtue of having interesting psychology or ideology or by simply being entertaining to watch.

EvilBob: Then there’s Story, which is a pretty hard one to define. But it’s more or less the sum of the Plot and the Character Arc. Basically how the lead character and/or those around them change throughout the series in relation to what’s happening in it.

Voyager: Last, but certainly not least – especially in anime – is the Visuals. Presentation is a big deal in Japan. And a polished presentation can earn some massive points. Not only can it make something aesthetically pleasing, but it can also massively contribute to things such as the mood and tone of an episode. So this category may carry a deceptive amount of weight. It can certainly sneak up on a series that’s otherwise doing well or be a major boon to a series that’s just scraping by.

But what about shows you’re not covering?

Voyager: Geez. You disembodied voices do seem to pack a lot of questions. Well, not to worry!

EvilBob: We’ll also include an ‘Outrunner’ in every bracket. Basically, a show that’s not part of the TKO but has an episode that stood out to one of us.

Voyager: We’ll be alternating on those. I’ll take one, then him, and so-on. They’re going to be really quick, breezy mini-reviews of just a few lines. But it’ll be a way to talk about as much as possible. I’ve been kinda curious about Granbelm.

EvilBob: I’ve been watching The Abandoned Sacred Beasts. It’s pretty interesting. Though… I have a feeling it’s going to end horribly.

Voyager: Yeah, well. Anyway, that’s that. The Summer 2019 Anime TKO is officially open for business and the first two brackets drop tomorrow! It’s gonna be wild.

EvilBob: In the meantime, be sure to check out the Winter 2019 Anime OP list from the Bulletoon Twins. It’s pretty cool. Thanks for letting us waste your time, people.

Voyager: Thanks for reading, as always. Keep up the Awesome!

EvilBob: And Keep it Classy.

Voyager: Take Care.