Midterm Review of Winter 2020 Anime by Anime Writers [Anime Column].

Interim Review of Winter 2020 Anime! The anime adaptation of "Heterogeneous Reviewers," which has made a splash with its unexpected adaptation, the animal school comedy "Gunrenase! Seaton Gakuen", "Myeshi ga Budokan ni taisareta de morte" which follows a top wotaku of an underground idol, "Yajukame-chan kansatsu nikki 2same" which is full of love for Nagoya, and "Dorohedoro" based on a popular manga series that has been running for 18 years.

Hetero-species Reviewers

The adventurers who go to dirty stores to have sex with all kinds of species seem more dazzling than the female characters without a stitch of clothing, perhaps because we can see our own past in their appearance. The reviewers who discuss the restaurant's reputation are akin to those of us who have spent our lives engaging in idle anime talk with other otaku.
The time spent talking about what we like with our friends seems like an eternity, but the "interracial reviewers" suggest that such days will come to an end. The presence of elves, who have a longer life span than humans, makes us aware of the parting that will come later, and the angels who join the group are given a time limit of "until the angel's circle is repaired. The use of "Ondo" as the ending theme, music for sharing the Hare, is also interesting, as the festival will one day come to an end. And even the opportunity to enjoy the work is lost when it is unexpectedly cancelled on terrestrial television. This film teaches us that it is as difficult to keep watching anime as it is to maintain the rage.

Let's flock together! Seaton Academy

Set at Seaton Academy, a private school for various mammals, this is a school comedy in which an animal-hating human named Mazamajin solves the problems of the students. The characters are presented in different ways depending on their gender, with the male students being almost exactly like animals, and the female students being so-called moe anthropomorphic. The production is supported by a number of zoos, including the Gunma Safari Park, which provided the animation, and the animals in the mobs are so lively that they are almost annoying, which keeps the viewer interested.
Kenjiro Tsuda was cast in the unfamiliar role of the penis animal in each episode. As his name suggests, he plays the male animal in all episodes, and he is capable of playing anything from gorillas, bears, rats, and giraffes. The next episode's preview features the voice actors performing animal noises, an attempt at an Edoya Nekohachi chic that matches the somewhat nostalgic style of the show.

I'll die if my guess is Budokan!

ChamJam is an idol group from Okayama Prefecture. This film adaptation of an idol comic depicts the life of top wotaku Eripiyo, who devotes her entire life to the least popular member of the group, Maina Ichii. In many anime live scenes, the faces of the audience are not depicted but are represented as penlights, but this is true of larger venues; ChamJam is an underground idol group that can only perform in small huts where the audience can be seen, and because of this, each and every wota is depicted impressively.
In episode 8, however, the power goes out at the live venue. Eri-Piyo tactfully leads the audience to the exit, illuminated by lights. It is a beautiful scene that seems to be a rehearsal for a big live performance that ChamJam may someday attend. We look forward to seeing where Eri-Piyo and ChamJam go from here.

Yajukame-chan Kankasatsu Nikki 2Same

A short comedy in which Jinkaito, who has transferred to Aichi Prefecture, is taught the charms of Nagoya by a genuine Nagoya native, Yatogame Monaka. Not only is the entire episode packed with Nagoya trivia, but the main cast, led by lead actress Haruka Tomatsu, are voice actors from the same region as the characters. The natural dialect is also attractive.
Foods and places of interest that appear in the film appear with real names. In the second season, local idols also appear in live action, making the anime adaptation an all-Nagoya affair.
The film not only praises the local area, but also shows its nostalgia when it blurts out its true feelings, saying, "Nagoya Castle is a strong disappointment. After the end roll, a local commercial for the Tokai region also aired. This is a film that will have you turning your TV room into Nagoya before you know it.

Dorohedoro

Caiman, a man with amnesia whose head has been turned into a lizard, hunts wizards to regain his true face and memory in this dark fantasy. As the catchphrase "Come to Chaos" suggests, the film is a mixture of 3DCG and hand-drawn images, so much so that it is difficult to tell which is which. Combined with the background art of the cityscape, which is coarsened by the smoke emitted by the wizard, the viewer can enjoy a unique trippy sensation.
The story of the mystery of the Caiman is intriguing, but the side-step episodes, such as the appearance of zombies and playing baseball, are also entertaining. The opening episode involves making dumplings, and the ending parodies a video game, making you want to lose yourself in the somewhat man-eating worldview.

(Text by Katsunori Takahashi)

(C) Amahara, masha/KADOKAWA Co.
(C) Bungo Yamashita, Cygames/Animation "Gunrenase! Seaton Gakuen" Production Committee
(c) Auri Hirao, Tokuma Shoten / Suishibudo Production Committee
(c) Masamoto Ando, Ichijinsha/Hachikame-chan 2 Production Committee
(c) 2020 Ball Hayashida, Shogakukan/Dorohedero Production Committee