Week 3 is upon us! Time to check in on our competitors to see how they’re doing in the latest round.
Voyager: We’re back, everyone!
EvilBob: And this time, boy do we have some changes!
Voyager: *ahem* Just remember to forward all hate mail to dontgiveacrap@idgaf.com!
EvilBob: Or dial 1-800-GETOVERIT. I repeat, that is 1-800-GETOVERIT. The silent void will accept all your angry calls and nasty comments.
Voyager: And now for a special word from our spons-
EvilBob: *whisper whisper*
Voyager: Eh? Whataya mean they pulled out of the deal?
EvilBob: *whisper whisper*
Voyager: Heeeh? No longer brand safe? Hm. Well, that’s a bummer. Anyway, we have a change, now! Well… sorta. It’s a new thing!
EvilBob: Remember. The shows are getting culled once all of them reach their fourth episodes. And that means shows that hit episode 4 earlier than others are locked.
Voyager: Which we’ll represent with this nifty lock symbol! 🔒
EvilBob: So, without further ado
Voyager: It’s time for us to crush all your hopes and dreams! Welcome to the Winter 2020 Anime TKO!
EvilBob: BATTLE ROYALE EDITION!!!
Voyager: Oh, he’s gonna keep doing it.
Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun (84â—Ž)
Voyager – 93
EvilBob – 80
Voyager: Bob, I love it.
EvilBob: I can see that.
Voyager: No. Bob. I really love it.
EvilBob: I… can see that. I love it too.
Voyager: *nods rapidly*
EvilBob: What’s not to like? There’s yokai!
Voyager: Well…
EvilBob: Not right now. We’ll come back to that. O’ will we come back to that.
Voyager: Yeeeah…
EvilBob: Overall, though, the show’s just a lot of fun.
Voyager: Yeah yeah yeah! And the characters are really coming together well! Nene’s still not the brightest bulb in the box, but she’s learning! And I love how the episode introduced its core concept and gave her some purpose with it! There’s a clear goal, now! I mean… other than getting her a boyfriend. And the friendship between Nene and Hanako is great, so far!
EvilBob: OH yeah. The dialogue’s also pretty snappy and hilarious. The comedic timing and insert jokes are also great. And this show still looks amazing.
Runway de Waratte (79â—Ž)
Voyager – 80
EvilBob – 75
EvilBob: So… where’d those extra 5 points go?
Voyager: Eh? Oh. I’unno. Wasn’t quite as strong an episode as the first one. It didn’t really tell a totally complete story in the same way, I don’t think. Still really good, tho.
EvilBob: Right… I just gotta ask this one important question.
Voyager: Why are all the adults abhorrent human beings?
EvilBob: Oh. Good. It wasn’t just me.
Voyager: The industry sucks. I mean, it’s not that horrible. But it’s a Shounen, so you know. Everything’s exaggerated to make it all more dramatic and extreme.
EvilBob: Wait, for real?
Voyager: Ayup. Probably hurts the story, in the short term. They also chopped out a looot of the manga, so far. The bit this one episode covered was waaay longer and had a ton more stuff to it.
EvilBob: So… this was rushed, then.
Voyager: Yeah, pretty much. Not too noticeable if you didn’t read it, though.
Somali to Mori no Kamisama (78â—Ž)
Voyager – 82
EvilBob – 75
Voyager: Oh my god. Oooh my god. Somali. Somali is… so… CUUUUTE!
EvilBob: Aaand, there he goes.
Voyager: She’s so energetic and curious and sweet and I want-
EvilBob: Word choice.
Voyager: Oh yeah…
EvilBob: Get a cat. It’s easier to clean up after.
Voyager: But I’m not lonely, tho.
EvilBob: …Keep that up and you’re gonna be, sir.
Voyager: Ahahaha! That sounded like a threat.
EvilBob: It… was.
Voyager: No it wasn’t.
EvilBob: It…
Voyager: Wasn’t.
EvilBob: N-no… it wasn’t.
Voyager: Ahaha! It was a funny joke, tho!
EvilBob: Y-yeah. Joke… just a joke…
Voyager: Oh! Also, the oni brothers were nice!
EvilBob: Wait, brothers? They weren’t-
Voyager: Yeah, I know. But they acted like it. Oh! And the stuff with Golem is being set up pretty well. It’s really sad, but really effectively done. I’ve always liked those stories about the secrets that adults keep from children to try and protect them, seeing what happens when they learn about it all.
EvilBob: Yeah. Really fits in a series with such a strong parental theme.
Voyager: Right!
Rikei ga Koi ni Ochita no de Shoumei shitemita. (75▲)🔒
Voyager – 70(E2), 74(E3), 81(E4)
EvilBob – 80(E2), 80(E3), 85(E4)
Voyager: Whoooa. This was suuuper unexpected! Ahaha! Look how high up this got, Bob!
EvilBob: Seriously. This thing shot up like a rocket. I appreciate that it’s taking more of a broad approach to its comedy instead of just doing the same exact joke, over and over.
Voyager: Oh! I’m getting Kaguya-sama vibes from it!
EvilBob: Huh. A pretty fair assessment, I guess. But one where the other characters around are a little more aware than the two leads seem to be.
Voyager: Right, right! And Kaguya-sama was one of my favorites from last year! If this keeps it up, it could be in that camp too!
EvilBob: Doesn’t Kaguya-sama have a sequel coming out, this year?
Voyager: *GASP* Ohmigod Ohmigod Ohmigod!
EvilBob: Aaaand I broke him.
Voyager: *ahem* Anyway, I like that they’re actually taking the time to build out the characters a little! It wasn’t anything groundbreaking, but it didn’t really have to be. As long as they did it.
EvilBob: And, my god, that date… was hilarious.
Infinite Dendogram (75â—Ž)
Voyager – 79
EvilBob – 75
Voyager: Oooh. Things got kinna dark, this time. But I think we can all agree on one thing. Nemesis is best girl.
EvilBob: Dude.
Voyager: Hmmm?
EvilBob: I want one.
Voyager: You want a virtual girlfriend?
EvilBob: Wha- hu- N-no. That’s not what I-… I didn’t think about the ramifications of that sentence before I said it.
Voyager: Clearly.
EvilBob: I do have one question, though… why is a living god weapon afraid of ghosts?
Voyager: I have another question. If a succubus puts hot sauce on ice cream, is that considered sacrilege or blasphemy?
EvilBob: An abomination. It’s considered an abomination.
Voyager: Oooooh! Well, anyway, it was a pretty solid episode! A bit draggy in the middle with all the exposition, but it was done with pretty quick! Oh, and it was pretty cool seeing how Nemesis reacted to Ray “dying.”
EvilBob: Yeah. You really get the impression that these AI have their own sense of self and it really raises a lot of questions about that whole thing. But it’s so interesting.
Isekai Quartet (72)
Voyager – 74
EvilBob – 70
Voyager: They’re baaack.
EvilBob: Yeah, they are. And they haven’t lost their touch.
Voyager: And the edge lord joins the party! Kinda…
EvilBob: Yeah! I guess…
Voyager: To be fair, his inclusion was pretty neat, but he wasn’t exactly funny in it. Let’s just hope they use his edginess for some good humor later.
EvilBob: Right? It’s too good an opportunity not to.
Koisuru Asteroid (71â–¼)
Voyager – 72
EvilBob – 65
Voyager: Jiiiiiiii…
EvilBob: I told you about staring at me with that tone.
Voyager: And I decided not to listen. Jiiiiiiii…
EvilBob: Well fine. Break your eyes, then.
Voyager: Eh? Bob, I know you’re ugly, but you’re not that ugly.
EvilBob: Yes I am! …wait.
Voyager: Ahahaha! I got him!
EvilBob: You conniving little…
Voyager: Boo. This episode was way better’n the last one.
EvilBob: Really? I kinda liked the last one better.
Voyager: Well good for you, you’re wrong.
EvilBob: That’s not-
Voyager: WRONG.
EvilBob: Well, okay then. We’ll just agree to disag-
Voyager: This episode was funny! And cute! And it actually revealed a bit more character background from Ino! It was also a lot more energetic with stuff like Mira’s self-made manga.
EvilBob: That Ao is, under absolutely no circumstances, ever allowed to see. Yeah, that was great.
Voyager: Right?! And the Spartan Training on the part-time job! So hilarious!
EvilBob: Yeah, definitely.
Voyager: Exactly! Glad we agree!
EvilBob: Right! Wait a minute…
Itai no wa Iya nano de Bougyoryoku ni Kyokufuri Shitai to Omoimasu. (71â–²)
Voyager – 73
EvilBob – 75
Voyager: Level up!
EvilBob: Ha. I see what you did.
Voyager: Heehee.
EvilBob: This episode was a lot of fun.
Voyager: Ooh, especially that underwater battle. That was great. And the battle royale was hilarious. She took out all those people with tiny nudges of her shield. If only that’s how tanks actually worked in games…
EvilBob: Uh… dude?
Voyager: Where’s our healer? Why isn’t anyone standing behind my shield? Everyone, my barrier’s about to go down. Find cover. Wait. No. Reaper. No!
EvilBob: Ooh… Overwatch flashbacks. Not good. Uh… hey, isn’t Maple cute?!
Voyager: She’s ADORABLE!
EvilBob: Ah. That worked.
Voyager: I’m also genuinely surprised at the animation quality of this show, so far. No way did I expect this cute little gag anime to pull out such a high production value.
Seton Academy (70â—Ž)
Voyager – 76
EvilBob – 80
Voyager: Well. This… happened.
EvilBob: More like WHAT happened?
Voyager: This show’s turning out to be pretty solid, all things considered! Really dumb and cringe animal puns but also some pretty clever jokes, sprinkled in!
EvilBob: With a dash of social commentary about people from all stripes being able to get along.
Voyager: Yeah! I’m enjoying it!
EvilBob: Yeah, well, I think I’m enjoying it more.
Voyager: Ooooh. Careful tho. You know what happens if you enjoy an anime too much.
EvilBob: Eh?
Voyager: YOU DIE!
EvilBob: AAH!
Voyager: Ahahaha!
EvilBob: Stop that!
ID:Invaded (68▼) 🔒
Voyager – 70
EvilBob – 50
EvilBob: Oh, look! It’s that cop show plotline I try to avoid at all costs because it pretty much always ends the same way!
Voyager: Oh, that’s what his problem was.
EvilBob: I mean, I’ve seen the same plotline, like, 5 or 6 times and pretty much never liked it. I don’t need to see it again. Even if it is animated.
Voyager: Oh… Anyway! I hated it!
EvilBob: That’s… not the tone I would’ve expected for that.
Voyager: Hmm… well I’m not exactly into watching children and teens get murdered, much less tortured. So I guess it got at my emotions a little? Kudos to it for that, I guess.
EvilBob: Oh. Hey. Maybe you do have a soul.
Voyager: I wanted to kill the guy!
EvilBob: Aaand I think you just revealed a little of the darkness inside of it.
Voyager: Oh, whoops.
EvilBob: Whoopsie. Anyway, the caper itself was kinda… boring? I guess it wasn’t ultimately the point, but I’m starting to think the novelty of the show’s gimmick is wearing off.
Voyager: Pro’lly. Good job that it got me to feel something on its own merits, instead of me getting mad at bad writing, I guess. That’s what it was trying to do, so… yay. Or something. Though, in retrospect, that whole “this is a recording” doesn’t really make much sense at all… and thinking about it is definitely starting to annoy me! But hey. If nothing else, I was totally in Sakaido’s corner, there!
EvilBob: Eh?
Voyager: When that guy asked him if he wanted to kill the culprit and Sakaido asked if he’d be allowed to. Totally would’ve been my response too!
EvilBob: …Beneath all that bubbly energy, you’re a very angry person, aren’t you?
Voyager: Eh? No idea what you’re talking about.
EvilBob: Riiight.
In/Spectre (68â–¼)
Voyager – 65
EvilBob – 65
Voyager: Boring!
EvilBob: Oh. He beat me to it.
Voyager: Heehee. No, but really. This episode was… not as interesting as I think they think it was.
EvilBob: Well, here’s hoping it was just setup for something more exciting or interesting, next time. If not, hoo boy, this one’s in trouble.
Voyager: For sure. But the girl’s still pretty fun… despite making absolutely no sense, whatsoever, in terms of how she’s even able to function. Seriously. Jumping around like it’s nothing, tracking things with both eyes, having depth perception, c’mon. If you’re gonna have someone dealing with missing parts, commit, man. Otherwise it’s just gonna feel pointless.
EvilBob: This… really bothers you, doesn’t it?
Voyager: YES!
Orphen (66â—Ž)
Voyager – 61
EvilBob – 70
EvilBob: …
Voyager: …
EvilBob: Shall we?
Voyager: All together, now!
E&V: Bye!
EvilBob: At this point… this one’s just gone.
Voyager: Unless eeevery other episode of eeevery show above it basically tanks, and this show has a stellar episode 3 and 4, this one’s outta there!
EvilBob: Shame too. Wonder if the original’s better.
Voyager: Maybe.
Prized Moment
Voyager: Cheating time!
EvilBob: Oi.
Voyager: Whaaat? These two moments were great!
EvilBob: …yeah.
Voyager: On the one hand, a moment that really gives Hanako-kun a purpose and drive as a series. There’s now a clear direction and a goal for Nene to pursue. It’s something I really love about Shounen! Really clear, concise goals!
EvilBob: On the other hand, Somali’s moment where Golem breaks off a piece of himself is just a great way to represent the sacrifices parents make in order to ensure a better life for their children.
Voyager: Ooooh. You almost sounded smart for a second, there, Bob!
EvilBob: Thank y- HEY!
Voyager: Ahahaha!
Choice Screen Grab
EvilBob: …Look at it. Just look at the picture. Go on. Look. Now. Try to tell me you don’t like this. Come on. It’s too precious for words.
Voyager: …Bob.
EvilBob: Did you consider the ramifications of what you’re about to say, ahead of time?
Voyager: . . .
EvilBob: As I said. Only a heartless monster wouldn’t like this. Present company excluded, of course.
Voyager: Heeeh?
Top Line
Voyager: Cute!
EvilBob: It… is indeed that. But… tell me that’s not the only criteria.
Voyager: No!
EvilBob: …Okay, then… what is it?
Voyager: I like it! It’s when she officially decides to call him Hanako-kun, representing their budding friendship! She’s really a sweet girl and I think that sort of represents the effect she’s going to have, going forward.
MVP: Nene & Ikuto
EvilBob: Okay, it’s hard to even argue with these. They’re both really good.
Voyager: Right?! Ikuto was so ballsy! It was great!
EvilBob: And Nene’s already turning into a really proactive protagonist in her own right.
Voyager: Seeing both of their resolves was pretty awesome! Can’t wait to see where their stories take them!
Voyager: And that’s Week 3 for y- whoa, hey! Torches and Pitchforks down, people! Ahahaha!
EvilBob: Before you flay us alive, let’s just re-explain the scoring system. This isn’t based on letter grades. The scores are out of 100 but 50 is average. Not failing.
Voyager: Yup! So technically nothing’s been below average, so far. Well… an episode, here or there, between either of us. But not a whole show.
EvilBob: Plus, mine is based on enjoyment. So it’s a bit more subjective than his.
Voyager: Mine is subjective too, but still a bit more stringent. Stuff I don’t exactly like gets waaay higher scores out of me than I sometimes prefer. So! Without further ado… you may cast the first stones! At him. Bye!
EvilBob: Wha-? Get back here, you little-!
Voyager: Keep up the Awesooooome!
EvilBob: I said get back here! Oh, uh… keep it classy. Hey!
Man, I swear this is always such a fun read. Great stuff!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed yourself!
We try to make these funny.