**There are spoilers with regards to the tone and content of the first few episodes of Gangsta., Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace, and Gakkou Gurashi! If you plan on watching them, don’t read this post.**
After the first week or so of episodes, here are a few of my thoughts on what I believe to be the best shows this season.
I love dark anime, and the darker the better. I’m glad to say that a few shows this season have hit the mark for me with their dark atmosphere and storytelling. The first show is Gangsta. After the first two episodes, the atmosphere is starting to settle and the pace and feel of the show are growing on me. I can see how some people compared it to Black Lagoon almost immediately, but there are definitely some distinct aspects to it, that give it a unique feel. From the interesting characters to the great background music and electronic opening, I think this show is definitely one of the things to watch for this season.
Next is Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace. I’m a big fan of Japanese detective fiction, and when I found out that this show was being made in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Edogawa Ranpo’s passing, I pounced on it. I have to say, they caught the perfect feel for his writing, to the point that I was surprised how well their version of his original stories worked with the direction they took the show in. Overall, the atmosphere mixed with an intriguing story make for a good show to look at this season. My only worry is that some of the characters might not get the time in the spotlight they deserve.
Lastly, Gakkou Gurashi!. Man, the huge reveal in the first episode wasn’t extremely surprising, especially if you’ve read the manga, or even if you’ve read the tags or synopsis of the show. Nevertheless, I still really liked how they did it, and how they dropped hints during points of the episode. I was really looking forward to how they would do it and I wasn’t disappointed. Great character work with art that translates well from manga to anime make Gakkou Gurashi! a show that you don’t want to miss this season. YenPress has the license for the manga and should be releasing volumes as of November, so look out for those, as the show will only last until late September.
That’s all for now folks, I just wanted to update you on my thoughts on how the season is going so far. Make sure to take a look at these shows, they certainly deserve attention. Thanks, and have a great day!
popculturemecha 