This is it! The last round of the Winter 2020 Anime TKO before the first culling! Where is everyone finishing for this first third of the season? See for yourself!

EvilBob: The time… has come.

Voyager: Ahaha! You sound all dramatic!

EvilBob: Hey, hey! You’re ruining the mood!

Voyager: The mood should be all excited, tho! We’re finally here! The end of the first third of the season! The culling’s coming up so let’s get started! C’mon, c’mon!

EvilBob: Fine. FINE! ergh…

Voyager: This is the Winter 2020 Anime TKO!

EvilBob: Battle Royale Edition…

Voyager: Hmmmmm?

EvilBob: …fine. *ahem* BATTLE ROYAL EDITION!

Voyager: Yaaay!

1 – Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun (86◎)

Voyager – 90
EvilBob – 85
Episode Average – 88

EvilBob: I really want a kitsune.

Voyager: You really want a possessive fox demon that could turn you into a doll whenever she feels like it?

EvilBob: …I didn’t-

Voyager: Think about the ramifications of what you said before you said it?

EvilBob: …You’re mocking me.

Voyager: I am!

EvilBob: But she was so cute! And she just missed her beloved sensei! Can you blame her?!

Voyager: For kidnapping an unknown number of literal children and making them perform some twisted death ritual where they have to assemble a human body out of random parts because she was never taught basic biology?

EvilBob: …Stop that.

Voyager: Ahahaha! But it’s fun! I did like the episode, tho.

EvilBob: Yeah, it was pretty great. A lot of the same, punchy humor and some pretty good character development. Also the introduction of another potentially fun supporting character.

Voyager: Yeah! There’s actually one thing I don’t think I’ve brought up before. But I really love those little insert shots. The bits where they include what look like manga panels to emphasize certain things. It’s a neat little stylistic choice!

2 – Runway de Waratte (82◎)

Voyager – 90
EvilBob – 80
Episode Average – 85

Voyager: This episode was super interesting. I liked it!

EvilBob: I don’t trust the new girl.

Voyager: Eh? Oh, yeah. She was MEGA shady. Acting like she was up to something in the one scene, then being all shy in her next appearance? Talk about transparent!

EvilBob: Well… Shounen…

Voyager: True… Anyway! I really liked how they actually set up and paid off the whole dispute with his sister. Ikuto’s family life is a really strong point in the show.

EvilBob: Yeah. Helps that his youngest sister is… just adorable.

Voyager: She is! I want-

EvilBob: Ramifications.

Voyager: …I was just gonna say I wanted to pet her.

EvilBob: …oh.

Voyager: You have a dirty mind.

EvilBob: Wha-?!

Voyager: I will say that I’d almost have liked to have the entire episode revolve around that whole thing so we could get into the other one’s headspace a little more. But what we got was fine.

EvilBob: Yeah, she was cool. I do like the new guy, though.

Voyager: Ooooh. I don’t.

EvilBob: Wait, what? He seemed pretty cool. Manipulative, but-

Voyager: He’s a toucher.

EvilBob: …what?

Voyager: Nyeh! Hands to yourself! Idiot! Weirdo! Pervert!

EvilBob: Oh, right. Doesn’t like being touched.

Voyager: Personal space is sacred place…

3 – Somali to Mori no Kamisama (80◎)

Voyager – 86
EvilBob – 80
Episode Average – 83

Voyager: *sniffle. sniffle*

EvilBob: *sob. sob*

Voyager: Waaaaaaaah! It’s so saaaad! He’s gonna diiiiiie!

EvilBob: Can… can you pass… the tissues?

Voyager: Here you go…

-3 hours later-

Voyager: *deep breath* Okay… we’re cool. We’re good.

EvilBob: *sniffle* Yup. Totally composed.

Voyager: So. That was painfully beautiful.

EvilBob: Seeing Somali go through all that just for a wish to stay with her papa forever-

Voyager: Knowing how tragic that wish is going to turn out is just… OOF.

EvilBob: *sniffle* Tell me about it…

Voyager: And then seeing Golem just absolutely shut her down just hurt. The poor girl. But I get it. He doesn’t get it, ironically, but… he was worried. He was concerned for her safety. And that worry bore anger. That anger led him to say something out of character.

EvilBob: *whimper* A-and that restaurant owner had it right. Being a parent is tough, but it’s that relationship that helps both the parent and kid grow. It was just so moving, and… *sniffle* and…

Voyager: …

EvilBob: …

V&E: Waaaaaaaaaaah!

4 – Rikei ga Koi ni Ochita no de Shoumei shitemita. (75◎)🔒

Voyager: Already locked, and in a pretty safe place, it looks like!

EvilBob: Yeah. Color me surprised.

5 – Itai no wa Iya nano de Bougyoryoku ni Kyokufuri Shitai to Omoimasu. (75▲)

Voyager – 80
EvilBob – 80
Episode Average – 80

EvilBob: This show is so much fun.

Voyager: Yeah! Maple’s cute! Sally’s great! And fights are exciting and look amazing! And seeing all the ways Maple breaks the game is awesome!

EvilBob: Those poor developers, though…

Voyager: Yeeeeah…

6 – Infinite Dendogram (74▼)

Voyager – 73
EvilBob – 75
Episode Average – 74

Voyager: Well, this was pretty… long.

EvilBob: Yep.

Voyager: Most of it was just a fight. But it was pretty fun. Not the flashiest or most gripping action sequence out there… but it was cool.

EvilBob: Yeah. Probably beats a full episode’s worth of exposition. The ending was… kinda sad. But it was a pretty neat thing to get to see the equivalent of a funeral in this world. And I do actually like how Ray views tians as real people. That whole angle of the show is good and I’m hoping it goes in a good direction from here.

Voyager: Yup! The show’s pretty safe, which is fine. Though it should try not to be too safe.

7 – Koisuru Asteroid (73▼)🔒

EvilBob: This one’s locked, as of last week. And it’s closing out the first third in a pretty respectable position.

Voyager: Here’s hoping it stays consistent!

8 – Isekai Quartet (73◎)

Voyager – 74, 77
EvilBob – 70, 75
Episode Average – 76

Voyager: I-se-kai Quartet! I-se-kai Quartet!

EvilBob: Ooooh. So that’s what detention looks like.

Voyager: *shudder*

EvilBob: Anyway, this show’s still fun. It’s basically just on the list so we can see if pure entertainment value is enough to get it far in this little competition.

Voyager: Seems to be doing fine for itself, so far!

EvilBob: …yeah.

Voyager: Hey hey hey! You remember our bet, right?

EvilBob: …what bet?

Voyager: You know! If Isekai Quartet survives the culling, you have to do whatever I say!

EvilBob: Wha-?! When did we establish that!

Voyager: The other day.

EvilBob: Why would I agree to that?!

Voyager: *brings out a tape recorder* “I agree to that.”

EvilBob: . . .You wicked little…

Voyager: Ahahaha!

9 – Seton Academy (71◎) 🔒

Voyager: A surprise, to be sure. But a welcome one.

EvilBob: Ha. I understood that reference.

Voyager: Ahaha! And I understood that one!

10 – In/Spectre (70◎)

Voyager – 83
EvilBob – 70
Episode Average – 77

Voyager: Huh. This is probably the strongest episode the show’s had in a while. Can we make the entire show revolve around Saki, instead?

EvilBob: What? Still not feeling our wonderbread protagonist?

Voyager: Eeeeh… that might be a bit too generous a nickname. Anyway! Saki’s interesting! And she basically says all the things I’m thinking! It’s like she’s psychic or something!

EvilBob: Or she could just be… you know… an audience surrogate.

Voyager: Nah, that’s not it. Also, Kotoko still rubs me the wrong way. She’s really riding this fine line between charmingly quirky and violently annoying. She has her fun moments, but she’s annoying way more often than not. And it really puts me off. *pouts* I wanna like her too. So unfair.

EvilBob: But the mystery they set up was pretty intriguing. And watching Saki figuring things out is neat. A bit exposition-heavy, but engaging, nonetheless… also, um… Voyager?

Voyager: Eh?

EvilBob: People can see yokai in this universe, right? Like… they’re not invisible and can show up to literally anyone?

Voyager: *blink* Yeah?

EvilBob: So… question. HOW DID NO ONE SEE THE 100-FOOT SKELETON MONSTER?

Voyager: *blink* huh. Yeah, I’d probably freak out if I just saw a Gashadokuro walking down the street.

EvilBob: Gasha-whatnow?

Voyager: It’s a yokai. Its name translates to “starving skeleton.” It bites off people’s heads and drinks their blood. Basically uses people like a Pepsi bottle.

EvilBob: HOW WAS NO ONE ALARMED BY THIS?!

11 – ID:Invaded (68◎) 🔒

Voyager: Oof…

EvilBob: You said it…

12 – Orphen (58◎)

Voyager – DON’T CARE!
EvilBob – 30
Episode Average – GONE!

EvilBob: Ergh…

Voyager: Ooooh. Bob’s making angry noises. Grr.

EvilBob: Now, now. I’m not angry, I’m just… disappointed.

Voyager: Huh. The parent lecture.

EvilBob: Its older sibling knew what it was doing. And did it well. This one’s just copying. But worse. How can an anime based on the exact same story as the old one be this bad? But whatever. You saw the episode. You know my pain.

Voyager: I didn’t!

EvilBob: …what?

Voyager: Oh yeah, I didn’t tell you. I did the math. Even if we both gave this last episode perfect scores, the best it could’ve gotten was a 69 average so it still would’ve stayed towards the bottom. Knowing that, I decided not to bother! Ahahaha!

EvilBob: …*grabs Voyager by the shoulders and shakes him* Stop being happy, darn it! Share my misery!

Voyager: Oi…

EvilBob: Oh right. No touching. *lets go* Sorry!

Prized Moment

Voyager: What a precious moment!

EvilBob: Right?! Ikuto finally telling his sisters that he’s going to officially start pursuing his dream while encouraging her to pursue her own was just such a wonderful scene.

Voyager: And the fact that he did it while using his first paycheck to help his sister towards her own goals just made it that much better!

Choice Screen Grab

Voyager: Okay, but can we just talk about how this woman managed to do a backflip, a good seven feet into the air, off of her butt.

EvilBob: The springs in that bed must be the stuff of legend.

Voyager: Seriously.

Top Line

Voyager: Hooray for character growth! Really! I loved seeing Nene turn around and basically call out “Misaki” for behaving in the exact same way that she once did (albeit far more extreme). It really goes to show how much she’s grown in so little time.

MVP: Somali

Voyager: …

EvilBob: …

V&E: Waaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Voyager: Hey, that’s it! Oh! That means we’re basically done now!

EvilBob: Next up, the first culling. It’s gonna be wild.

Voyager: Or mild. Either way, we’ll do a post on that soon! Look forward to it!

EvilBob: Oh, believe me. I am. *rubs hands together* muahahahaha…

Voyager: Well, his name is EvilBob. Anyway, thanks for reading!

EvilBob: And for letting us waste your time.

Voyager: Keep up the Awesome!

EvilBob: And Keep it Classy.

Voyager: Take Care!