Doctorkev’s Thoughts on the Summer 2023 Anime Season: New Shows
That’s us at the halfway point of the Summer anime season, and my overall impression is that it’s been mostly lacklustre, however there are a few shining jewels hidden amongst the lazy, boring isekai sludge. First — a couple of surprising hits from Netflix:
Ōoku: The Inner Chambers (Netflix) — 10 episodes (including 80-minute premiere)
Dropped onto streaming in its entirety on June 29th, at the tail-end of last season, it’s a shame that Netflix’s poor scheduling decisions have caused this excellent alternate history period piece to be essentially ignored by anime fandom in general. Ōoku is certainly worth seeking out. A compelling and at times deeply unsettling political drama, it’s probably best consumed in small chunks — why Netflix insisted on a binge model for this I’ll never know.
Based on the 19-volume manga by Fumi Yoshinaga, Ōoku is set during 1600s Tokugawa Shogunate period Japan, the country has been united following the Warring States period, though the constant threat of rebellion from power-hungry nobles keeps the Shogun, de facto ruler of the country, deeply concerned with maintaining control. The office of Shogun is inherited, so the the production of eligible male heirs is paramount — hence the introduction of the “Ōoku”, a tightly-regulated harem within Edo castle that houses hundreds of fertile women, with whom the Shogun can attempt to conceive a successor.
When a virulent plague sweeps the nation and kills the majority of young boys and men, Japanese society must adapt — the institution of marriage is abolished but for the most wealthy, those few surviving men are forced into prostitution, or kept like stud horses, or made to sell their seed. Women adopt traditionally masculine roles such as fishing and farming, and even the office of Shogun is held by a woman. Therfore the Ōoku becomes a harem — a prison — of young men, cloistered away from the rest of the world, their role to impregnate the Shogun and ensure the continuance of the Tokugawa line. Without a legitimate inheritor of the Shogun title, the country might once again fall into brutal civil war. The cost of peace is the sacrifice of hundreds of fertile young men’s lives, frittered away uselessly in the Ōoku.
The first episode is an 80 minutes long prologue, Oshi no Ko-style, and is worth watching on its own as a movie. The remaining nine episodes tell a different story with completely different characters, but remains extremely compelling. Mostly it focuses on the psychology and hardships of the men imprisoned within the Ooku, and how their rigid society and its brutal customs emasculate and humiliate them. The few female characters include two very different but exceptionally well-depicted Shoguns, intelligent and powerful yet also deeply constrained by their roles. They must make inhuman choices for the stability of society, and it’s a credit to the show’s writing that the viewer can empathise with them.
Although it’s rarely explicit, Ooku doesn’t shy away from the darker consequences of people trapped within a situation with rigid, unfair power dynamics. It’s rated “18” in the UK for good reason, with not infrequent scenes of rape, sexual assault, or at least sexual coercion. These characters suffer indignity after indignity and must keep compromising their morals and values in order to survive. At times it’s painful to watch.
Animated by Studio Deen, it’s hardly the lavish production this powerful story really deserves. The animation is limited, and its common for characters to appear off-model. It’s a shame that it doesn’t look better than it does, but the strength of the narrative and characterisation is such that it almost doesn’t matter that it looks less than good. A challenging, upsetting, yet tender and fiercely intelligent show, this comes with my highest recommendation. As this adaptation covers only the first four manga volumes (providing a good ending point), I sincerely hope that further seasons follow.
My Happy Marriage (Netflix) — 6 of 12 episodes, Wednesdays
The second of Netflix’s excellent offerings this season, instead this one is being released weekly. Netflix is consistent only in their inconsistency! Based on a series of light novels, it’s another alternate history period piece, this is set at the tail end of the 19th century Meiji Restoration era, so although the upper-class characters live in very traditional-looking Japanese houses, wearing traditional attire, they also ride motor cars, and the city streets are lined with trams.
There’s an almost fairy-tale-esque tone to My Happy Marriage, a cross between Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast — though it’s more emotionally devastating than any Disneyfied version of those ancient stories, and as it progresses, it prominently features flashy battles involving somewhat incongruous psychic powers, along with complex family drama and political intrigue. It’s a fascinating mishmash of genres that incredibly all work seamlessly together.
Protagonist Miyo is the browbeaten and abused elder daughter of the prominent Saimori family, inheritors of the supernatural ability “Spirit Sight”. During Miyo’s early childhood, her beloved mother dies and her father remarries a conniving, ambitious harpy of a woman who gives birth to Kaya, Miyo’s half-sister. Spiritual prodigy Kaya is lauded as the family’s “golden child”, and apparently powerless Miyo is treated as little more than a servant, systematically emotionally and physically abused by Kaya and her mother while her inadequate father turns a blind eye.
Worn down by years of abuse, Miyo lacks any agency or self-confidence, and quietly endures her life of constant suffering. When she is essentially sold off to the reputedly even more abusive nobleman Kiyoka Kudo, it’s just the next blow in a long line of indignities she must bear. However, her blossoming relationship with the misunderstood Kudo becomes the least toxic and most empowering aspect of her life.
Kudo is brusque and businesslike, his poor reputation built by his frequent rejection of snobbish, ambitious female suitors. In Miyo he sees her true value as a human being, and he’s incensed by her treatment at the hands of her uncaring family. Despite the multiple deeply upsetting scenes of harrowing domestic abuse, My Happy Marriage is, at its core, a feelgood story of redemption through sacrificial love. It’s hard to maintain dry eyes when Miyo gradually finds the confidence to emerge from her shell of emotional repression to accept Kudo’s love, through his small, regular acts of selflessness and kindness towards her.
It’s a gorgeous-looking show, with attractive character designs and colours that pop from the screen, especially during the most recent episode six’s climactic action sequence. The devastatingly handsome Kudo with his righteous anger and singleminded gallantry may well be this season’s Best Boy. My Happy Marriage is my top show of the season.
Dark Gathering (HIDIVE)— 5 of 25 episodes, Sundays
Of HIDIVE’s six current seasonal offerings, I’m only interested in two, and so far Dark Gathering has been the most interesting. It’s definitely not a show for everyone, as it mixes cutesy character designs with slightly off humour, psychological dread and pure horror. In these regards, its closest anime relative is the excellent Higurashi — When They Cry. Much like Higurashi, the juxtaposition between cuteness and horror is what makes it effective, the incongruity of the tonal whiplash very deliberate on the show’s part.
Dark Gathering’s production committee must have great faith in the material, because it’s one of those rare two-cour anime, set to run for half a year with 25 episodes. It’s based on a 13-volume manga, the first couple of volumes of which are available to read in print and on the Shonen Jump app in English. The anime seems to be an extremely faithful adaptation so far.
Hapless protagonist Keitaro can sense the presence of supernatural entities, but can’t see them. Unfortunately they’re attracted to him, and as a child he and his friend were cursed by an evil spirit with a painful curse affecting their hands. Keitaro winds up tutoring creepy purple-haired child Yayoi who, following the death of her parents, has developed the ability to see, hunt and imprison spirits. Yayoi drags Keitaro spirit-hunting along with mutual friend Eiko, a seemingly normal girl who harbours obsessive feelings of devotion towards Keitaro.
Each of the main trio are damaged people with disturbing secrets and obsessions related to the supernatural. Together they stumble through various cases involving murder, suicide, possession… With genuinely unsettling concepts and imagery (such as Yayoi’s deeply wrong collection of screaming, juddering plush toys filled with imprisoned malign spirits), there’s a reason that the most recent episode features a trigger warning at the beginning and a helpline number to call at the end. I’m very intrigued to see where Dark Gathering is headed.
Helck (HIDIVE) — 5 of 24 episodes, Tuesdays
HIDIVE’s other interesting entry this season is the long-awaited adaptation of 2014 fantasy manga Helck. Based only on the first few episodes, it’s hard to see why this is such a highly-regarded story. It’s entertaining enough, but despite some fairly heavy-handed foreshadowing, it’s mostly comedic fluff featuring larger-than-life characters in a generic fantasy setting. I’d forgive anyone for dropping out at this point.
However, I have read the first three manga volumes (there are eleven in total), and I can confirm that the story does get more interesting, and once again this is another rare two-cour show. At the current rate of adaptation (about 3 chapters per episode), they’ll only manage to adapt eight volumes, so perhaps there’s a plan for an eventual third cour if this does well? I still don’t think I’ve reached the part in the manga where it becomes a “must read” series, so by definition the anime is going to be a slow burn. Will today’s attention-depleted anime viewers be willing to stick around?
The titular Helck is like “anime He-Man” in that he’s a huge musclebound hulk of a guy, essentially impervious to attacks/poison etc, who enters the context to become next Demon Lord. Yes, this wholesome-looking, affable and smiling hero announces that he hates humanity and wants to join the other side — and in fact lead it in a war of extermination against his own race. Obviously, the demons are somewhat sceptical of his true motives, none more so than co-protagonist (and primary viewpoint character) Vermilio.
Vermilio is one of those love-her-or-hate-her loud characters who reacts to events mainly by screaming about them. This is particularly egregious in the first episode, though she does calm down (a little) as the show progresses. Although Helck begins with what looks to be an extended tournament arc, by the third episode there are some interesting hints of backstory dropped, and then at the end of the fourth episode the rug is pulled out from beneath the story, where Helck becomes something else entirely.
For the moment, Helck is mostly focused on the relationship between the titular character and Vermilio, who agonises over whether she can trust him or not. This dynamic looks likely to drive the rest of the show, especially as they must now rely on one another for survival in a weird, fairly comedic fantastical world. They meet a cast of very colourful side characters who provide humour and entertainment. For the moment I’m willing to keep watching, mainly on the recommendations of others who have read more of the manga than me. I don’t think the goofy humour is going to go away, though I expect the dark backplot will gain more prominence as the show progresses. Definitely one to keep an eye on.
Reborn as a Vending Machine (Crunchyroll) — 6 of 12 episodes, Wednesdays
Out of all this season’s painfully generic and derivative isekai garbage, I’m watching only one — and it’s genuinely fun. Recently we had the credulity-straining Reincarnated as a Sword and now that the “reincarnated as an inanimate object” subgenre has been established, we now have a show where the main character dies and is then reincarnated in a fantasy world as an immobile vending machine. Yes, this is as stupid as it sounds, but the show treats its silly premise seriously and is none the worse for that.
“Boxxo”, as he is lovingly named by buxom dungeon adventurer Lammis, the first character who bumps into him, was a vending machine otaku in his previous life. His encyclopaedic knowledge of every type of vending machine to have ever existed (and in Japan they have vending machines for everything), seems to have profoundly affected his nature and abilities in his new world. Not only can he handily dispense nutritious food and refreshing drinks to the dungeon’s adventurers, he can shapeshift into different vending machines to produce any number of alternative items. (I’m waiting with bated breath for the episode where he vends used schoolgirl underwear.)
In this world, the “dungeon” looks like the outside world, with forests, lakes, skies, but it appears there are also “levels” above or below. Lammis and her friends live their lives in a frontier village within the dungeon’s lands, and Boxxo’s abilities prove valuable on their expeditions. As a mere vending machine able only to converse in pre-recorded phrases, communication is somewhat difficult, but Boxxo and Lammis manage to sweetly construct their own limited language.
It’s a low-complexity, fairly relaxing show, with only the odd hint of danger here or there. Most episodes feature new Boxxo transformations, and some of his problem-solving abilities are admittedly clever and funny. As far as unchallenging fluff goes, you could do worse than watching this weird little show.
Undead Murder Farce (Crunchyroll) — 6 of 13 episodes, Wednesdays
Ultra-stylish and snappy, this Victorian-era-set fantasy/supernatural/detective show is based on a series of light novels, though only the manga adaptation seems to be available so far in English. Featuring an immortal girl who exists only as a head in a cage, she engages her loyal maid (with an acid tongue) and a half-oni manservant (handy with his fists) to solve mysteries with a supernatural edge. The first episode set in 1900s Japan is something of a misdirection — subsequent episodes move to continental Europe and then finally to England, where the larger meta-story kicks in, introducing a multitude of famous fictional characters.
Initially I was slightly cool on the series, but in latter episodes we’ve had appearances from Phileas Fogg, Arsene Lupin, The Phantom of the Opera, Sherlock Holmes, Watson and Detective Lestrade. It’s like Alan Moore’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, but anime, and I am here for it. Caged head girl Aya Rindo’s design is eyecatching, and her interactions with her two suboordinates are snappy and amusing. The direction from Kaguya-sama’s Mamoru Hatakeyama is deft, sharp and engaging, as expected from an experienced director of intellectual yet humorous works.
The first main story arc involving vampires is a fairly straightforward whodunnit murder mystery, and is decent enough, but I’m very interested to see where the show goes now that it has introduced most of the strange-looking characters from its excellent opening sequence. (K-pop group CLASS;y provide the fantastically catchy OP song “Crack-Crack-Crackle” that I never skip.)
The Gene of AI (Crunchyroll) — 6 of 12 episodes, Fridays
As anyone who has read my writing over the past few years will know, stories about artificial intelligence are definitely My Thing. Considering my profession, this intriguing anime seems like it was written to appeal to me. One of my favourite manga is Black Jack by Osamu Tezuka. It follows a rogue surgeon who travels the world helping anyone with their weird maladies… for a price. The Gene of AI stars Dr Hikaru Sudo, a doctor who runs his own medical clinic for artificially intelligent androids, though he also takes on unlicensed work under his pseudonym “Moggadeet”.
Oftentimes Sudo is a bystander, or fills a supporting role at most, in each episode, as the anthology structure focuses on the characters who feature in the story (or stories) of the week. There’s a hint of an underlying narrative involving Sudo’s family circumstances, but mostly this is a collection of thematically-linked short stories set in a future world where embodied artificial intelligence is common and integrated into many parts of life.
Sudo’s patients are usually human-identical androids, who grow physically and mature emotionally like humans. Their only obvious distinguishing features are their horzontally-aligned oval pupils. Much like humans, androids also get sick, and their options for treatment can be quite different to that of pure biological entities. Sudo is often faced with interesting philosophical and moral quandaries involving memory and identity, and not every story wraps up neatly. Generally AI is seen as a net positive in this culture, and it’s refreshing to see a show that isn’t all doom and gloom about the possibility of general AI integrating with society.
Its closest equivalent would be something like Black Mirror, but without the cynicism. The Gene of AI is grounded, and often positive, though it’s not shy of exploring the downsides of its technology and the way that unscrupulous people could explot it. There’s one segment concerning a teenage boy and his hacked fake digital girlfriend that is particularly uncomfortable.
With its short vignettes, The Gene of AI can’t hope to answer most of the questions it poses, but the little bitesize chunks of speculative fiction it provides are enough to provoke profound thought about the issues it raises. That’s the purpose of science fiction in its purest sense, and I’m so happy this show exists.
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead (Crunchyroll) — 5 of 12 episodes, Sundays
From shiny new studio Bug Films (with assistance from famed studio Shaft), comes this hyperactive manga adaptation about Akira Tendo, a downtrodden salaryman liberated from his miserable professional life by the sudden emergence of a zombie apocalypse. He’s so happy that he doesn’t have to grind his life away in a depressing office that he barely seems to notice that the world is falling apart around him! Inspired to make a “bucket list” of one hundred things to do before he becomes a zombie, he makes it his priority to go out and live life, to do the things he previously put off doing because of work.
I think anyone who has ever slaved away at a thankless office job, hounded by unrealistic managers, and peer-pressured by workaholic colleagues to sacrifice everything to the company, can empathise with Akira’s plight. Japan’s work culture is notorious for forcing young men to work dangerously long hours, discouraging holidays, and causing burnout or even early death. Although this culture is slowly changing, with the worst offenders being labelled as “black companies”, many workers still suffer a miserable existence like Akira. Zom 100 is like a wet fevered dream, a delirious wish-fulfillment, a psychedelic acid trip of a show, targeted directly towards these corporate wage-slaves. Embrace the apocalypse, it screams. Throw down your pens and your keyboards and seize the allure of hedonism!
So that works incredibly well for the first episode, which is a superbly-directed opener that sets the scene skillfully depicting Akira’s monochrome, hope-depleted work-life, before exploding into haemorrhagic splats of vivid colour once the zombie plague erupts. That satirical vibrancy doesn’t really persist past that point, however. It becomes more of a goofy comedy with an inconsistently-characterised protagonist who veers wildly from resourceful and clever to idiotic and disaster-prone depending on what each scene requires. Even five episodes in, we’ve only been introduced to two other supporting characters, though at least they’re both fun in their own ways. (Most other bystanding characters are despatched gruesomely shortly following their introductions.)
Despite the first episode’s intelligent and insightful deconstruction of the self-destructive Japanese corporate work ethic, the rest of the show following it has been pretty much an episodic wish-fulfillment comedy. It’s entertaining, but doesn’t maintain as much depth as I wish it would. Viewed primarily as a throwaway zombie comedy, though, it’s a lot of fun and I do intend to keep watching.
Fate/Strange Fake: Whispers of Dawn (Crunchyroll)—single OVA special
Woohoo! A proper new Fate TV show! It seems to have been ages since we had a full-length series featuring a recognisable grail war setup. As enjoyably opaque as it was, The Case Files of Lord El-Melloi II didn’t count, and I don’t think the incomprehensible Fate/Extra did either. That leaves us with 2017’s Fate/Apocrypha, and before that, 2014’s Unlimited Blade Works.
The opening chapter of Fate/Strange Fake’s source light novel was intitially written as an April Fool’s joke by Ryogo Narita, author of Durarara and Baccano!. It must have proved very popular, as it eventually spawned a whole series of 8 volumes (so far). This adaptation is helmed by A1 Pictures, who also worked on some of Fate/Grand Order’s anime. Their work on the Babylonia singularity was particularly excellent, so this show seems to be in good hands.
Unfortunately, this one-hour special/prologue is all we get for now, as the rest of the series won’t be released until next year. What a great prologue it is, though. Already there are a bunch of familiar faces for Fate fans to latch onto — narcissistic divine king Gilgamesh and his rival/friend Enkidu, eternally exasperated Lord El-Melloi II (nee Waver Velvet) and his plucky student Flat Escardos. As ever, it’s pointless to try and fit the events of this story into any kind of overarching meta-plot — most Fate series seem to exist in their own little continuities, despite often sharing characters. It’s best not to question the nonsense and just go with it.
“Just going with it” is certainly the best advice for Strange Fake, considering the events in its prologue alone, where multiple established Holy Grail War rules are either subverted or completely broken. The American Justice Department appear to have a crack team of mages now, a dog can become a master, and there’s a creepy vampire dude running around (no idea if he’s a Dead Apostle or a True Ancestor, but normally they’re relegated to Tsukihime-verse stories, so who knows what’s going on here?) This looks to be a mind-spinningly complex battle royale and I cannot wait for it to get started for real.
